Reading with my past family
by B-ballismylife14
Summary: Re-write sorta just on a new profile. Anyway Percy, Thalia, And Nico get sent back in the past with the gods. The entire council plus Hades and Hestia. Annabeth will come in later. With the help of three demigods will the gods over come most of thier problems? Or will they argue anymore? Rated T fo language
1. Chapter 1

Characters: The Olympian gods, Hades, Hestia, Percy, Thalia, and Nico

Time: Before Thalia was born, but after WWII.

I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Percy skidded to a stop, just before he ran right into Hestia's fire.

His arms pinwheeled as he tried to not somersault into the fire.

Hestia herself pulled Percy away.

Now that he didn't have a blazing fire in his face, he bowed to her. "Thank you, My Lady."

Hestia smiled at him. "You look like your father."

Percy's eyes twinkled. He could now act as a stunt double for Poseidon.

"Wow, Percy Jackson bowing to an immortal. Never thought I'd see that day come," a voice said at the entrance to the Throne Room.

"Hey, Pinecone Face," Percy said, without looking from Hestia.

"I hate the fact that you know me so well," Thalia grumbled.

"You'd better get used to it, Thals. At least until one of us dies," Percy snorted, looking up. He punched her affectionately in the shoulder. She shocked him in return. "Always need my daily dose of electricity," Percy quipped.

"Then you must be running short," Thalia said wickedly, grinning like a maniac. "Let me give you an extra supply," she said sweetly.

Percy went into a backbend as Thalia lunged. She sailed over him, and he kicked upward, knocking her to the side, and she landed lightly on the ground. At least, until Percy landed on her. Then she was being sat on by Percy.

"Kelp Head! Go to Hades!" she yelled.

"Lightning Dolt," he happily responded. "Sorry, I've already been if you don't recall."

"I was freaking _with you_, you stupid, moronic, Kelp-for-Brains!" she yelled in frustration.

"A stupid, moronic, Kelp-for-Brains that just whooped your butt," Percy said mildly.

Hestia covered her mouth, keeping in her laughter. The same expression could be seen on many of the Olympian's faces.

"You _stupid_ son of Poseidon! Get off of me!" Thalia shouted.

"Gladly. You aren't very comfortable, anyway," Percy said, smirking. He helped Thalia up.

"Shut up, Kelp Head," Thalia grumbled.

"That's not going to work," Percy sang, dancing away from Thalia's sparking fingers.

"Children as amusing as thin is please don't fry him" Hestia said kindly

"Sorry Lady Hestia"

"I just figured out that Annabeth is my niece" Thalia said out of the blue

Percy rolled his eyes "She also my second cousin, come on even I knew this"

"ADHD at its prime," Hermes said amusedly.

"Hey, it's kept me alive," Both of them said at once, in sinc.

An awkward silence passed. "How has it kept you alive?" Athena finally asked.

All two of them snorted. "I don't know, I think every one of you in here has either on accident or purposely tried to kill me," Percy said, laughing.

"I wouldn't _laughing_ about that..." Hermes said uncertainly.

"He thinks it's funny that he's made it this far in his life with all the gods that have tried to kill him," Thalia explained.

"How on earth have _I_ tried to kill you?" Apollo asked confused.

"You let Thalia drive your sun chariot. That is suicide in and of itself," Percy said frantically. He dodged the electricity thrown at him. Instead, it hit Zeus.

Zeus didn't seem to notice. "Why is that suicide?"

"Uh, I don't know, maybe she's almost killed me just by driving Paul's Prius, let alone a solar car!" Percy said, making something up on the spot. Well, that was actually true, but not the real reason.

"And Zeus has tried to blast me way too many times, Poseidon thought I was somebody else and I was _this_ close," he held his fingers less than a centimeter apart, "to spontaneously combusting. Hades tried to kill me more times than I care to think about. Hephaestus sent me on a quest that ended with me exploding a volcano and ending up on Ogygia."

Percy winced at Thalia's glare.

"You ended up _where_?!" she screeched.

Percy grabbed Thalia and shook her by the shoulders. "Thals, I'm right here. I wouldn't leave you or Annabeth or Grover or Tyson or Nico or anyone else. Got it, Dolt? Just because I wanted to go home didn't necessarily mean that I _could_ go home. It's actually a _good_ thing I ended up on Ogygia. Annabeth would've killed me via suffocation when I woke up."

"She nearly killed you regardless for disappearing on her," Nico huffed from the doorway. "Along with almost releasing Typhon and blowing up a _freaking volcano_."

An intake of air came instantly from all the gods.

"Shut up, Nico," Percy and Thalia said simultaneously.

"What— How did— What happened?" Poseidon stuttered.

Nico covered his mouth.

Nico shrugged. "Eh. Olympus is better than China. Whatever." He sat down next to Hestia after bowing to her.

Hestia smiled at him. "You both seem familiar with me, but I don't know who you are."

Percy and Nico raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "You don't remember two starving demigods and their hellhound, with them rather wary after talking with a crazy person? You nearly fried my face off when you were trying to teach me that yielding is the hardest to master," Percy said, incredulous.

Thalia looked confused. "When was this?"

"Uh, just before I took a dip...you know." Percy paused halfway through the sentence, glancing at the gods warily.

"Oh, when did you… take the dip?" Thalia asked, slowly and carefully.

Thalia suddenly had amused eyes at this exchange with amused eyes.

"Shut up, Pinecone Face," Percy grumbled.

Thalia put up her hands defensively. "I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking it!"

"How would you know? You're not a mind reader!"

"I know you too well! You were thinking that it was funny how you and I can practically read each other's minds, and that I was going to tell you to shut up and you were thinking of ways to win this argument, but you won't because I know you _way_ too well!" Percy shot at her. He paused, going over what he just said. "Wow, that was really creepy."

Thalia looked incredulous. "You think?!"

"Uh, yeah," Percy confirmed. "Sorry."

Percy said thinking of Annabeth . "Now Annabeth would be smaking her forehead and thinking that I need to stop saying sorry and that I'm a stupid Seaweed Brain," Percy said, amused.

"You know us _way_ too well," Thalia and said

"Uh-huh," Nico agreed at Hestia's hearth.

Percy looked halfway between amused and mock-hurt. "What is this? Gang-Up-On-Percy Day?"

"I love that day!" Nico cheered sarcastically. The gods were mentally shaking their heads at the show in front of them.

"Someone help me," Percy groaned dramatically.

"And you people say _I_ take after my father. He obviously takes after his uncle, not me!" Thalia said.

"You don't take after either of our uncles, Thalia," Percy said dryly.

"Eh," Thalia shrugged. "That depends on who you ask."

"I think I'm pretty accurate when I say that you don't even take after your father all that much. If anything, it's a mixture of Zeus, Artemis, and your own person," Percy said thoughtfully.

"Why Zeus?"

"Well, he is your father," Percy said in an obvious manner. "You take some of his powers, thus the lightning that you keep shocking me with."

Poseidon and Hades (who had been practically gone unnoticed from the rest of the demigods and Council) opened their mouths in protest. Percy, seeing this, let out a sharp whistle that made everyone freeze.

"Neither of you can say _anything_ to Zeus, because you both have your children standing right in front of you," Percy said sternly.

Hestia's comment about Percy looking like his father suddenly fell into place for the gods. Nico, looking bored, summoned hellfire in his palm.

Meanwhile, the four demigods and Hestia were stifling laughter at the other gods' faces.

"This is fun 'n' all," Percy drawled, "being entertainment for the gods. But why are we here?"

Athena noticed Percy's tone of voice. "You sound like you've been like this multiple times," she said, half-asking.

Percy's face twisted. His voice was full of sarcasm when he said, "Maybe. Maybe this is like the thirty-millionth time I've been up here, and most times you guys have wanted to blast me to dust like the monsters I kill on a regular basis."

"So you do know where you are?" Zeus asked.

"Mount Olympus, the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, home of the Greek and Roman gods, yada yada yada," Percy said flatly.

"You don't sound very happy to be here," Hestia said quietly.

Percy snorted. "You wouldn't be very happy to be here either if the gods had voted—multiple times, I might add—whether or not to _kill_ me. And half the time I was only here because I was trying to finish one of Zeus's _stupid_ quests so we don't have World War Three, Four, and Five, and possibly make the Trojan War look like a water ballon fight."

"It's not exactly the _best_ thing you can do, insulting the gods," Demeter warned.

Percy's eyes turned icy. His jaw clenched. "Why not? You always seem well enough to be insulting me. First quest, Zeus and Hades's symbols of power were stolen, and apparently, _I_ was to blame, even though at the time I had no idea what the heck was going on. All I knew was that my math teacher had suddenly turned into a demon and a pen into a sword," Percy eyed Hades.

"Percy," Thalia warned.

There was an awkward silence. "So why are we here—Ack!" Nico jumped a foot when a box plopped out of thin air and into his lap, almost impaling himself on his own sword. Percy stifled laughter at his cousin's statement.

Nico, staring at the box for a full two seconds, finally decided to rip it open, to reveal a stack of books.

"That was anticlimactic," Hermes said, amused.

"'The Enlightenment Thrift?' What kind of name is that? Whoops, sorry, 'The Lightning Thief'." Percy said embarrassed after his blunder..

"Let's get started. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish," Dionysus rumbled.

Sorry i had to repost this i made a stupid mistake with my last account .Thanks for reading please tell me what you think. I will try to update everyday or so but with school going on it's going to be hard. But good news school is over in 20 days I' ll update more in the summer. Exept when I go to South Carolina for a week or 2. . Im not adding Annabeth right now because I want this to be a family bonding story for now. I'm most likely going to add her second book or near end of the story. Happy: allen r

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!


	2. Chapter 2

"Before we start why don't you demigods introduce yourselves" stated Demeter, they all ready knew there parentage but not their names.

"Sure my name is Percy Jackson"

"My name is Thalia Grace"

"Last but not least my name is Nico Di Angelo and can we have bean bags or chairs because marble floor is _not _comfortable"

Thalia and Percy rolled their eyes but agreed nonetheless.

Hestia snapped her fingers and three bean bags appeared. One sea green for Percy. One silver and sky blue for Thalia. One black one for Nico. All three of them were around the hearth.

"Umm.. What year is it" Thalia asked kicking back and relaxing, Nico and Percy doing the same thing.

"The current year is 1988" Athena answered and then asked the question "Who would like to read first"

Zeus raised his hand and said **"I accidentally vaporize My Pre-Algerbra Teacher," **

"Really you_accidentally_vaporizeyour teacher" Hermes asks

"Why would you do that to your teacher?" Athena asked

"She was evil" Percy said mysteriously.

" It was an accident" Percy says. The demigods rolled the eyes

"Continue dad" Thalia says

**Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood.**

The demigods nodded in agreement.

**If you're reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is:**

" Oh-no He's giving advice. Run for your lives!" Nico said

Nico and Thalia hid Behind the couch.

"You guys are mean." Percy pouted

"Dude the truth hurts" Nico said. Percy did the mature thing and stuck out his tongue as they sat back down.

"You know its true seaweed brain" Thalia teased as the gods watched in amusement.

**close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.**

"Not bad better than most of your advice Kelp Head" Thalia said

**Being a half-blood is dangerous.**

"No shit Sherlock" Thaila rolled her eyes.

**It's scary.**

"Check" Percy said

**Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.**

The demigods and the gods and goddesses who had kids flinched.

**If you're a normal kid, reading this because you think it's fiction, great. Read on. I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened.**

"Why would mortals be reading about this?" Hera asked.

**But if you recognize yourself in these pages―if you feel something stirring inside―stop reading immediately. You might be one of us. And once you know that, it's only a matter of time before they sense it too, and they'll come for you.**

**Don't say I didn't warn you.**

"You didn't warn me." Nico whined

Percy raised an eyebrow "What would you rather getting thrown off a cliff with a manticore thorn in your ass and have me say 'Hey kid your about demigod with almost every second if your life in danger have a great life!" At the end people snickered at his words and fake peppy voice

Hades (if possible) and Poseidon paled at the word 'cliff' and 'manticore.'

"Second one please" Nico squeaked, blushing.

"That's what I thought continue Lord Zeus" Percy said smugly.

**My name is Percy Jackson.**

"No its Zeus did you Forget?" Aphrodite asked cocked her head to the side very serious. Many people face palmed.

**I'm twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.**

**Am I a troubled kid?**

"Yes" the demigods chorused. (sans Percy)

"NO" Percy said "Maybe" he said under his breath after a second thought.

**Yeah. You could say that.**

Percy looks at the book in Zeus' hands and groaned "You're not supposed to agree with them."

"Er, son your talking the book" Posiedon said

"Is there a problem with that" Percy asked but a light, unnoticeable blush covered his face

"Normal people would consider that a problem Kelp-Head" Thalia said slowly like talking to a toddler while other people around the throne room snickered.

"…"

Percy was now red-faced from the embarrassment.

**I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, **

"Short" Poseidon squeaked "miserable"

_So he does care_, Percy thought

_Of course son I will always love you, even though I don't know you in this time period_, Poseidon thought back making Percy smile at his caring father.

**but things really started going bad last May, when our grade six class took a field trip to Manhattan- twenty-eight-mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.**

"That sound intresting" Athena said smiling

"No that sounds like torture" Poseidon grumbled.

**I know- it sounds like torture.**

"Great minds thinks alike, eh dad" Percy said

"Totally." Poseidon responded.

Athena rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance.

"Like father, like son." Hestia said smiling at the father-son pair.

**But Mr. Brunner, our latin teacher was leading this trip, so I had high hopes.**

**Mr Brunner was this middle aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee.**

"I can practially taste Aunt Sally's coffee jelly beans" Nico said dreamily

Thalia and Percy became locked in a daze when Nico mentioned one of there favorite foods from Percy's mom.

Artemis was about to roll her eyes and mutter 'boys' but realized her lieutenant was also in a daze.

Thalia whispered something in Percy's ear and suddenly they were on the floor laughing( being conscious of the roaring hearth). Nico had a look of realization splatter on his face.

Then horror.

Then sheer, utter embarrassment.

Hermes echoing everyone's thoughts " What is so funny"

Percy chocked out not really recollecting himself "One… Hall..O…Ween" then collecting himself enough to form a sentence

"Nico dressed up as a jelly bean as him being obsessed with them"

Not a single immortal was not laughing even Athena, Zeus and Hera.

Thalia brought something out of her pocket and laughed even harder tears steaming down her cheeks like two streams.

She held it up and it was a…. picture of Nico as a jellybean.

Everyone had tears in their eyes or in a lot of cases tears streaming down their faces

Being so embarrassed Nico quickly scurried to the nearest shadow out of eyesight and even more embarrassment.

Getting himself and everybody together with grins and smiles present on their faces, Zeus read.

**You wouldn't think he was cool, but he told stories and jokes and would let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armour and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep.**

" The horror how could you even sleep in class. Just think about how much learning and important information you will need for need for the future. Again I can not fathom on how disrespectful…" making boring long speech that a large faction of the room tuned out or fell asleep (Ares and Dionysus).

Long story short, many people rolled their eyes.

"Well sorry I had a problems at home.." Percy replied each word getting quieter and quieter. He didn't want his Gabe problem brought up anytime soon.

Nico came out of the shadows after that sentence.

Thalia, Nico, (Percy is like a brother to them)Posideon, and Hestia( she had grown to like her nephew) narrowed their eyes in sync.

"What problems" Thalia said she had heard about a bad step-father but never knew a big picture.

"Nothing" Percy said too quickly, slightly shacking (But noticeable), and pale faced the suddenly sighed "It will most likely be in the book."

Everyone seemed to be in a different state of shook and confusion. The hero seemed to be a brave and fearless person. But to most beliefs he was shaking and looking close to tears. He was also unconsciously holding his right shoulder. Thalia and Nico putting there anger that he had kept something away from them. They had always since after titan war kept anything from each other. Quickly the three have formed a brother/sister relationship. Thalia and Nico put there arms around Percy and comforted him.

Before long Percy was back to normal.

Percy looked at Thalia and Nico (they were on each side of each other) separately and hugged them and gave them the sincerest "Thank You"

Hera turned to the Big Three and gave them a stern glare " If your children act like like siblings why cant you all?"

They all looked to different places. Poseidon to his sandals. Hades to the souls in the robes. Zeus to the book and swiftly continued to read.

**I hoped the trip would be ok. At least, I hoped for once I wouldn't get in trouble.**

"You just jinxed it" Hermes and Apollo said to Percy.

Percy ran his hand through his hair and muttered "I know"

**Boy was I wrong.**

"See"

"I said I know" Percy grumbled

**See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for the school bus but of course, I got expelled anyway.**

At that not a soul in the throne room was not laughing. (Exept the serious and stick-in-the-muds. *cough* Zeus, Hera, Athena, Dionysus, and Artemis *cough*)

"what were you aiming at" Apollo coughed out

Percy shrugged "The teacher"

That set off a new batch of laughter even the serious and stick-in-the-muds had a small smile on their faces except Athena.

She was mumbling "How were they going to learn." and "Delaying other kids futures"

**And before that, at my forth-grade school when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim.**

By then even the stick-in-the-muds had to stifle a laugh and/or a giggle

"Percy are you sure you are not my son" Hermes said.

"Or mine" Apollo added

"I'm very sure"

"What about mine you are quite a handsome young man" Aphrodite said checking him out.

Percy blushed heavily

**And the time before that... Well, you get the idea**

"No tell us more" Apollo and Hermes whined.

"How bout' I tell you dinner" Percy suggested thinking back to his 'getting kicked out days'

They nodded exitingly anxious for dinner to come.

**This trip, I was determined to be good.**

Thalia and Nico snorted "As if"

"Does he get in trouble a lot" Artemis said

"Yes"

"No.. well" Percy tried to defend. said

"Percy no matter how much you_ try_ to argue you will never ever, ever, ever and ever be classified as a well behaved and obedient child." Thaila dead panned.

"He gets it from his father" Hades said and sneezed

"Gods-bless you and I didn't think gods even sneezed" Percy said absolutely bewildered

"Of Corse we sneeze, we have saliva." Hephaestus said in an obvious manner. Thalia and Nico snickered at Percy's face

"Oh continue Lord Zeus" Percy said embarrassed and slightly confused.

**All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded **

**kleptomaniac girl, hitting my best friend Grover in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich.**

"I'm going to kill that bitch" Thalia fumed her sly, celebratory mood quickly fading away.

"I waned to also" Percy replied his mood also quickly faded away.

**Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled.**

**He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.**

"That whole paragraph was _very _flattering kid" Hephaestus mumbled

**Wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation. The headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.**

**"I'm going to kill her," I mumbled.**

"Take me with you and I'll bring aegis" Thalia smiling evilly, thinking of tortures

"How would you like to give me some torturing ideas for the fields of punishments? I'm always looking for some new ideas" Hades asked thoughtfully.

Thalia shrugged "Sure"

**Grover tried to calm me down. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."**

"I do too but in my hair no thanks" Demeter commented

**He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.**

**"That's it." I started to get up,**

Ares looked exited and grinned evilly waiting for an upcoming fight.

**but Grover pulled me back to my seat.**

Now Ares looked disappointed "So close" he muttered under his breath

**"You're already on probation," he reminded me. "You know who'll get blamed if anything happens."**

**Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there.**

"Wow I'm suprisesed you didn't get into the fight while Grover turned aroung" Nico stated thoughtfully seeing confused looks "Percy is the kind of person that does things with out thinking" Nico mumbled quietly "So is Thalia"

Suddenly he got hit by a zap which made his hair stand up all over his body

"Heard that Nicky"

**In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.**

**Mr. Brunner led the museum tour.**

**He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery.**

**It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.**

"Longer than that" The gods muttered

**He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, a **_**stele, **_**for a girl about our age. He told us about the carvings on the sides. I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.**

"The _very_ evil eye" Percy muttered and slightly shivered

Hades and Nico had similar thoughts, _why does that sound so familiar_.

**Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.**.

.Hades eyes widened with realization, _how is the boy still alive _

Nico and Percy shivered experiencing ' for themselves.

**From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn.**

"No that's Nicky" Thalia snickered patting the smaller Demigods head. Nico blushed

**She would point her crooked finger at me and say, "Now, honey," real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month.**

**One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, "You're absolutely right."**

"Way to blow your cover goat-boy" Thalia muttered then smirked "Luckily Kelp-head was oblivious as always"

"I am not oblivious" Percy hastily protested

Thalia raised an eyebrow "Really, it took you 5 years and when everyone else knew even _her _you still didn't catch on." Percy face reddened and he quickly looked to the floor.

Aphrodite sat up detecting a love wave "Who is this _she, _your girlfriend" She said seductively.

Percy looked every where but Athena and Aphrodite "Maybe" He said hesitatively

Aphrodite squealed "Oooh you do , who is it"

Percy made gesturer that his lips were sealed "It's a secret" He said childishly and innocently

**Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.**

**Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned around and said, "Will you **_**shut up**_**?"**

**It came out louder than I meant it to.**

**The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story.**

**"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"**

**My face was totally red. I said, "No, sir."**

There was a little laughing at this.

**Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?**

**I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"**

All the demigods shivered. The idea of their parents being eating wasn't pretty.

"It would be that one." The elder gods and the demigods muttered

**"Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied.**

**"And he **_**did **_**this because ..."**

**"Well..." I racked my brain to remember. "Kronos was the king god,**

**and—"**

"KING GOD" Zeus bellowed

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Why do I have a feeling Chiron wont like that answer." .

**"God?" Mr. Brunner asked.**

**"Titan," I corrected myself. "And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead.**

**And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—"**

**"Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.**

"That doesn't even begin to describe how atrocious that process was" Hera said disgust all over her features while her sisters nodded along to the statement.

**"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans," I continued, "and the gods won."**

"You describe a hundred year war into a couple sentences" Artemis said in shock

"Also saying the biggest war in history was 'a big fight' Athena added in quite the shock herself. The council mirrored the facial expression: shocked.

**Some snickers from the group.**

**Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"**

**"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"**

"Busted" the twins said and looked over to Leo when he started to choke from holding back his answer. He decided to just read on instead.

**"Busted," Grover muttered.**

Apollo and Hermes went wide-eyed. " You think like a goat." Artemis grinned.

On he other hand Percy looked thoughtful. "I think Grover would take offense to that." When Thalia just shrugged her shoulders ,Zeus continued.

**"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair.**

**At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.**

"Of course he has horse ears" Athena stated

"Actually he has human ears, cause' his top half is human" Percy replied cheekily. Everyone (except Athena) laughed, snickered or smiled

"Wow I never see the day Athena be corrected by the son of Poseidon" Apollo said after a laughing fit.

"Me either bro" Hermes said with a grin

**I thought about his question, and shrugged. "I don't know, sir."**

**"I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. "Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine,**

"Waste of wine" Dionysus grumbled, soon after he quickly regretted it.

Six pair of eyes glared at his so hard he covered his face in 'Wine Weekly'

**which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus,**

Percy and Nico shivered

**the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"**

All eyebrows raised. "How is that a happy note?" Aphrodite asked, confused.

Dionysus looked over to her and said, "That's just Chiron."

"I so need to teach him subject changing.

**The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.**

"Guys are doofuses" Artemis scowled

"Yes they are my lady" Thalia agreed. Artemis smiled at her future lieutenant.

**Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson."**

**I knew that was coming.**

**I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. "Sir?"**

**Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything.**

"Not everything but a lot" Hermes satd

**"You must learn the answer to my question," Mr. Brunner told me.**

**"About the Titans?"**

"No," Nico said sarcastically, "about the cup-cakes." Thalia smiled then quickly motion her father to read, wanting to get this chapter done.

**"About real life. And how your studies apply to it."**

**"Oh."**

"Typical Percy answered" Thalia teaseled while Percy rolled his eyes.

**"What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."**

**I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard.**

"It's for the best child" Hestia smiled at Percy who smiled back.

**I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armor and shouted: "What ho!'" and challenged us, sword-point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever **_**lived, **_**and their mother, and what god they worshipped.**

"Okay" Nico said smiling. "that does sound like fun." Thalia nodded his head. Percy looked over to them and smirked. "Even spelling? Maybe I should tell Chiron to do that with you guys" he said cheekily.

They froze. They sucked at spelling. Thalia shocked Percy. "Ow what was that for" Percy whined

"For even suggesting that horrific idea" Thalia glared.

**But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C— in my life. No—he didn't expect me to be **_**as good; **_**he expected me to be **_**better. **_**And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.**

**I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.**

Hades sighed. "He probably was." Everyone looked at him strangely except a few (Ares and Dionysus didn't care. Hestia and Nico, knew their brother/father cared) Hades glared "I'm not heartless I care about some people who die" He was a miffed they thought he was heartless and didn't care. Even the Lord of the Dead has a heart.

**He told me to go outside and eat my lunch.**

**The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue.**

**Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York State had been weird since Christmas.**

**We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in.**

**Nobody else seemed to notice. Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers. Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.**

**Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from **_**that **_**school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.**

"Did it work." asked Nico, genuily curious.

Grover snorted. "I doubt it."

**"Detention?" Grover asked.**

**"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius."**

**Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"**

"Wow." said Thalia while everyone else laughed.

**I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it **" You of all people wasn't hungry, coming from the boy who ate 3 large pizzas all by himself" Nico said

**I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home. She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.**

All the females looked at Percy and smiled at the love for his mother.

"Momma's boy" Ares muttered at Percy but everyone else heard.

"And damn proud of it too" Percy retorted.

**Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized cafe table.**

"Kid you just gave me an idea" Hephaestus said wryly "Thanks"

"Umm… your welcome?" Percy answered "Does anyone think of 'Wallie'

Thalia nodded but the gods and Nico looked confused

Seeing his face Thalia looked mystified "You have never seen 'Wallie' before"

Nico looking as bewildered and ever shook his head as a 'no'

Percy looked questioning and incredulous "Have you ever watched any other Disney movies" He questioned.

Nico was very perplexed "What the hell is Disney"

Percy and Thalia gasped "You have never heard of Disney death- breath"

"No"

"That's it we are going to have Disney marathon in the screening room tomorrow."

"What's it rated? R?" Nico asked hopeful for a scary movie.

Thalia and Percy burst out laughing "No its rated G"

Nico looked horrified at such a low rating.

**I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.**

"Gross." Aphrodite moaned. "This girl has some serious problems." nobody argued.

**"Oops." She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.**

**I tried to stay cool. The school counselor had told me a million times, "Count to ten, get control of your temper." **

"That never works" Ares grumbled thinking back to all the times he tried to cal his temper while fighting.

**But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.**

**I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"**

**Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.**

**Some of the kids were whispering: "Did you see—"**

**"—the water—"**

**"—like it grabbed her—"**

"Why does Uncle P's kids get all the cool powers" Thalia whined. Nico nodded, agreed

"You don't like my powers" Hades and Zeus said simultaneously and looked at each other weirdly.

"He gets vapor travel, heal people, make earthquakes, make a mountain explode, make myself my own hurricane, breath underwater, make volcanoes explode, talk to horses and sea animals, have exact coordinates in the sea, can burn for a while, make water shields, walk across water. And all I can do is fly" Thalia shuddered "and shoot lightning"

"Touché" Nico agreed.

Poseidon smirked "I guess im more powerful"

His brothers rolled their eyes and zeus continued.

**I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.**

**As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. "Now, honey—"**

**"I know," I grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."**

"NOOOO! Never guess your punishment" Hermes moaned exasperated

**That wasn't the right thing to say.**

Thalia rolled her eyes "No shit." Nico stifled a laugh.

**"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.**

**"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. **_**I **_**pushed her."**

"Grover would be scared shitless" Thalia said snickering.

"Brave satyr" Artemis complemented.

Now all the demigods stifled a laughed

"What's so funny?" Artemis asked or rather demanded looking rather miffed thinking she had been laughed at.

"Grover would have fainted if he heard that" Percy said cautiously trying not to be turned into a jack lope.

Artemis nodded with a small smile. Percy realsed a breath he knew he was holding. Seeing this Artemis smirked, Good I wont turn him into a jack lope… yet

**I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death.**

"Seeee," said Thalia, in a voice that was basically saying 'ha-ha I was right'. "I told you, you were the best satyr ever." Percy and Nico nodded in agreement

**She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled.**

**"I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.**

**"But—"**

**"You—**_**will**_—**stay—here."**

**Grover looked at me desperately.**

**"It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."**

**"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "**_**Now**_**."**

**Nancy Bobofit smirked.**

**I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.**

Ares rolled his fire eyes "I bet it nowhere near as good as mine" He boasted.

Percy wanting to set him strait gave him his deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.. Ares shifted, flinched, and winced. In a cowardly manner he disappeared in a red puff of smoke.

"Coward" Apollo snickered at Ares getting beat by a demigod.

**Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on.**

**How'd she get there so fast?**

"Monster" Poseidon squeaked.

Hades eyes widened had a look of panic flash across his pale face.

**I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it.**

"That's a strange but unique way of putting it" Hestia said thoughtfully

"Thank you Lady Hestia" Percy smiled.

**The school counselor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things.**

**I wasn't so sure.**

**I went after Mrs. Dodds.**

**Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going **

**on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel.**

Poseidon glared at the book. "How dare Chiron not pay attention to Percy. How is a book more important than my son"

"Dad" Percy whined "Im sitting right hear in front of you" He said appeasing the god of the sea. Who currently looked like he was suffering from a case of embarrassment.

"Oh…. Right continue Zeus."

**I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. She was now inside the building, at the end of the entrance hall.**

**Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.**

**But apparently that wasn't the plan.**

"Of course it isn't, it never is" Nico said. Percy rolled his eyes at his cousins dramaticy, but on the inside agreed.

Nico who saw the gesture protested "You know its true"

Percy sighed in defeat and nodded which made Nico smirked.

**I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.**

**Except for us, the gallery was empty.**

**Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.**

Hades shivered. "This doesn't sound good." he muttered (he was scared to see what his powerful brother would do). Ares looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you kidding," he sounded surprised. "we're finally going to get some action."

Poseidon looked so angry. He walked up to the war god's throne and slapped him. Not an ordinary slap, a godly one with godly strength. That one powerful slap could be heard from all over Olympus.

"Don't you let your heartlessness get involved with my son" Poseidon growled through gritted teeth.

Ares gave a small nod were he sat on his throne dumbfounded and in pain.

At that slap the Demigods rubbed there cheek and winced at the power of the slap.

Zeus didn't even asked Apollo to heal Ares he jus continued.

**Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...**

Hades looked like his worst fears had been confirmed. He had an internal conflict to just shadow travel.

Hestia too had realization struck her. She had heard and seen the furies from Hades in his realm.

She gave him a look that said, _Brace Yourself brother_

**"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said.**

**I did the safe thing. I said, "Yes, ma'am."**

**She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. "Did you really think you would get away with it?"**

**The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil.**

**She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me.**

Most of the council snorted at how wrong he would be. Some pitied at his current predicament.

**I said, "I'll—I'll try harder, ma'am."**

**Thunder shook the building.**

"Dad" Thalia growled, Percy was her brother in all but blood.

Zeus had the decency to look regretful from the anger his daughter was sending him.

**"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."**

**I didn't know what she was talking about.**

**All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room.**

"You are a beast Perce" Apollo and Hermes said together. Each giving 'Perce' High-5. Artemis rolled his

**Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on **_**Tom Sawyer **_**from the Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.**

"How could you it's a great book" Athena gasped

"Well I have Dyslexia and ADHD. For one I couldn't even read a page an hour. Also I wouldn't be able to sit still long enough to get past the first page." Percy said in A-matter-of- fact way.

"Then I'll get you a Greek version and you can tough through it" Athena said as her eye twitched from almost being beat at an argument from a _Son of Poseidon._

Percy paled and nodded and faked happiness "Thank you so much Lady Athena"

The gods snickered at his response.

**"Well?" she demanded.**

**"Ma'am, I don't..."**

**"Your time is up," she hissed.**

**Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons.**

"HADES" Poseidon bellowed absolutely furious "HOW COULD YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO SEND A FURY, A FURY OF ALL MOSTERS. AFTER MY SON WHO HAS NOT EVEN BEEN EXPIENCED TO THE GREEK WORLD!" He ran over to Hades throne and raised his hand to a flinching Hades "HE. . YOU. BASTARD!"

Golden ichor flowed down his face and was quickly knocked out from the severity of his brother's punches.

It took the whole male side of the council (except Ares and Dionysus who wasn't present and didn't care) to restrain the fuming lord of the sea.

**Then things got even stranger.**

"Stranger, like how" Aphrodite said suggestible, wiggling her eyebrows.

Percy and a number of people turned green. While the rest didn't look so far from that stage.

"No Lady Aphrodite, just no" Percy managed out

**Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.**

**"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.**

"What is a pen going to do" Dionysus said as he rolled his eyes.

In a blur of bronze sky rocketed and not a millimeter from Dionysus's head.

"That's what a pen will do" Percy said with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah!" cheered Hermes and Apollo, "Chiron to the rescue." They sang repeatedly.

Until Artemis snapped and lost her patience "Shut up" she hissed and took out her bow and shot it an inch from their heads. There was a little chuckling, but everyone was tense.

**Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.**

**With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.**

**Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.**

**My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.**

Ares came back and would have said 'Wimp' but his injured cheek said otherwise.

**She snarled, "Die, honey!"**

"Honey." snickered Apollo the same time as Nico said, "issues."

**And she flew straight at me.**

**Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword.**

"Since when a sword natural for a 12 year old?" Hestia asked surprised. In her opinion that was in now way should be natural.

**The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. **_**Hisss!**_

"Great. You've already started" Athena scowled

"Umm started what Lady Athena" Percy said mystified.

"Started comparing every damn thing to water. Just like your idiotic father

"Hey I take offence to that" Posideon and Percy whined childishly.

"And it seems you get acting like a child most of the time also like your father" Hestia smirked."

"What is it gang-up-on-the-sea day?" Percy said trying to act miffed but failing with a smile on his face?"

"Yes"

**Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan. She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.**

**I was alone.**

"Spooky" Hermes muttered

**There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.**

**Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.**

**My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms or something.**

**Had I imagined the whole thing?**

"nope." Nico said remembering when Percy met Alecto in the Styx mission.

**I went back outside.**

**It had started to rain.**

"Great timing dad" Thalia muttered.

**Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."**

"Who" Poseidon blinked.

**I said, "Who?"**

"Like father, like son" Hestia smiling at the pair.

**"Our **_**teacher.**_ **Duh!"**

**I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about.**

**She just rolled her eyes and turned away.**

"Rude" Hera sneered.

**I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was.**

**He said, "Who?"**

**But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.**

"He soo needs to get lying lessons" Hermes moaned at the poor lying of the satyr.

**"Not funny, man," I told him. "This is serious."**

**Thunder boomed overhead.**

"Very, very serious" Athena stated thoughtfully trying to figure out was has her father so mad.

**I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved.**

"Ah the beauties of the mist" Apollo said thinking back to all the times he used it with mortals.

**I went over to him.**

**He looked up, a little distracted. "Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson."**

**I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it.**

**"Sir," I said, "where's Mrs. Dodds?"**

**He stared at me blankly. "Who?"**

**"The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher."**

**He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. "Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?"**

"Now Chiron can lie" Hermes said "Continue father"

Zeus held up the book and said "It is done the chapter is finished. Who would like to read next?"

Hades raised his hand and grabbed the book and continued

**So here's the deal I'm thinking of removing the newer gods and just make it reading with the elder gods. Also im going to have to make a dinner chapter earlier than I would like. My three year old cousin is coming over and that makes it harder to concentrate. Also on that day I have beutifacation day at my school. Were we pretty much just add flowers around the school! Also I know it's boring but it wil get better as the story goes on.**

PLEASE READ & REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

Hades took the book and read and immediately raised an eyebrow "**Three Old Ladies Knit the Socks of Death,"**

"Dude I absolutely love your chapter names." Apollo complemented while Artemis rolled her eyes.

Percy nodded thinking how his father was going to react to this chapter. Percy knew he would really freak out by hearing how he witnessed the Fates. But he was thinking how grateful Hades was reading not his father. A look of panic crossed his face but no one noticed because it was gone as soon as it came. Percy was thinking about the next chapter, everyone would know his secret.

**I was used to the occasional weird experience, but usually they were over quickly.**

"Kelp-head your whole entire life is a weird experience." Thalia said while her and Nico high fived each other.

Percy just rolled his eyes at his two cousins. Then Percy smirked.

"Yeah because you two are the ones who make it weird, weirdos."

The gods snickered at his response.

"How pray tell am I a weirdo, _Kelp-head" _Thaliagrowled out.

"Well your in the Hunters of Artemis but were black almost 24/7 when they were silver" Percy said in an audacious tone.

"That is normal"

"No it isn't" Hestia

"Yes it is"

"No it isn't"

"Yes it is"

"No it isn't"

"Yes it is"

"No it isn't"

"Yes it-"

"Hush Children you argue just like your fathers" Hera snapped

"Do not" Percy, Poseidon, Zeus, and Thalia whined rather childishly.

"Uh huh." Hestia whined teasingly, pulling it if better since she was in her 9 year old form.

They crossed there arms and muttered 'not true' and 'whatever'

Hades rolled his eyes at his brothers and children and continued to read.

**This twenty-four/seven hallucination was more than I could handle. For the rest of the school year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me.**

"The Stolls did that to a new kid before. Sarah was it? Anyway they somehow got the camp to ignore her after they stopped. She got claimed to be a Daughter of Hermes, she pranked them back. I don't know what she did but I heard it was bad" Percy said chuckling. Hermes sat up strait with an amused smile when he heard his name. Everyone was chuckling after the story thinking of possibilities of what the girl did.

**The students acted as if they were completely and totally convinced that Mrs. Kerr—a perky blond woman whom I'd never seen in my life until she got on our bus at the end of the field trip—had been our pre-algebra teacher since Christmas.**

Hermes raised an eyebrow interested "Was she hot?" He asked curiously.

Percy looked disgusted at what Hermes was suggesting "No she was easily 55 just was very peppy. I don't think you want her" Percy said this time the roles were switches. He was hinting while Hermes looked disgusted. Artemis shook her head mutter over and over 'boys' and 'vile creatures'

**Every so often I would spring a Mrs. Dodds reference on somebody, just to see if I could trip them up, but they would stare at me like I was psycho.**

"You are psycho at how many gods you defied." Nico said shaking his head.

**It got so I almost believed them—Mrs. Dodds had never existed.**

"Stupid Sea Spawn being affected by the mist." Athena noted

"Give me a break I was 12! I didn't even know the Gods and creatures were real." Percy responded exasperated.

Everyone looked shocked that Percy spoke back to a god. Athena of all goddesses.

"How dare you Sea Spawn talk back to me" Athena sneered furious

Poseidon held his trident extra tight just in case Athena made a move.

"Well you're the Goddess of wisdom, it's not my fault you didn't realize the key details" Percy said annoyed at Athena .

Athena was about to respond, but found she couldn't. She sighed in defeat and winced as she did so.

Apollo, Hermes, Ares, and Poseidon tried but failed to stifle their laughter. They couldn't believe the goddess of wisdom lost to a _'Sea Spawn'_

**Almost.**

"I bet you its Grover" Thalia said to Nico who is response rolled his eyes

"No one is that stupid to make a bet like that"

"Too true" Thalia said as Percy nodded his head.

"The faith you have in your friends is unbelievable" Aphrodite said shaking her head.

They shrugged "Well it's true Grover cant lie to save his soul." Percy defended.

**But Grover couldn't fool me.**

"Now If I did make that bet I'd be broke." Nico said

"No you wouldn't we all no you have your magic credit card." Percy rolled his eyes.

"I left my wallet on my bed in the underworld. I couldn't grab it before I was flashed here." Nico replied a little angry he didn't grab his card. Percy shrugged.

"How is your credit card magic?" Hephaestus asked interested.

"My dad gave it to me (They are on better terms in the future) it works on all currencies and never runs out of money and when I leave a room it goes back to my pocket. Exept this is an exeption I guess" He said thoughtfully while giving his father a nod of thanks.

"So badass" Thalia muttered. While Percy nodded but happy his cousin wasn't in the streets hungry.

**When I mentioned the name Dodds to him, he would hesitate, and then claim she didn't exist. But I knew he was lying.**

"Anyone could tell" Hermes muttered then said louder and turned to the Demigods "Make sure my kids give him some lying lessons"

They all nodded at his directions for them.

**Something was going on. Something **_**had **_**happened at the museum.**

"Very good Peter" Dionysus said sarcastically. Percy rolled his eyes because of Mr. D's inability to get his name right.

**I didn't have much time to think about it during the days, but at night, visions of Mrs. Dodds with talons and leathery wings would wake me up in a cold sweat.**

"Poor child, that must have been frightening for a child at such a small age" Hestia pitied, while frowning

Percy muttered quietly so that no one would heard "Not as bad as many other of nightmares."

Although Hestia heard, and her frown deepened. She looked into her hearth looking at his nightmares and silently gasped (all of this happening in less than a second.) She suddenly realized how much pain and sorrow his eyes carried.

**The freak weather continued, which didn't help my mood. **

"Similar to your father and his temper and mood connecting to the weather." Demeter commented thoughtfully.

Both mentioned shrugged not really caring, knowing they had many similarities.

**One night, a thunderstorm blew out the windows in my dorm room. A few days later, the biggest tornado ever spotted in the Hudson Valley touched down only fifty miles from Yancy Academy. One of the current events we studied in social studies class was the unusual number of small planes that had gone down in sudden squalls in the Atlantic that year.**

"You two must be really angry" glaring at the two brothers.

Athena's mind raced in possibilities, but never figured out which angered her greatly.

**I started feeling cranky and irritable most of the time. My grades slipped from Ds to Fs.**

Athena shook her head, struggling to keep an out burst in. She was having a very long internal conflict to not insult the Son of Poseidon.

**I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends. I was sent out into the hallway in almost every class.**

**Finally, when our English teacher, Mr. Nicoll, **

Thalia suddenly smirked when asked she replied "That sounds a lot like Nico" She turned and faced the boy "I just found a new nickname for you, _Nicole_" Her and Percy high-fived, while Nico groaned and cursed at the book.

**asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for spelling tests, I snapped. I called him an old sot.**

Athena shook her head in amusement. She was only one understood what he had said.

**I wasn't even sure what it meant, but it sounded good.**

"Kelp-Head do you know what that means now?" Questioned Thalia

"Yeah, I knew right away when I met Mr.D" Percy quipped.

All the gods laughed loudly. Luckily for Percy Dionysus was currenly in a deep godly sleep.

**The headmaster sent my mom a letter the following week, making it official: I would not be invited back next year to Yancy Academy.**

"One out of many" Percy sighed

**Fine, I told myself. Just fine.**

**I was homesick.**

"Way to be a wuss Sea Brat." Ares said

"Ares he is not a wuss, he just cares deeply for his mother. As should everyone" said Hera glaring at her.

**I wanted to be with my mom in our little apartment on the Upper East Side,**

At the memory of Sally Nico, Thalia, and Percy shared a glance as they remember all he thing Sally did for them.

Aphrodite looked up from filing her nails to feel a family love rolling off in waves. She smiled at the demigods love Sally.

**even if I had to go to public school and put up with my obnoxious stepfather and his stupid poker parties.**

"Paul doesn't gamble" Nico said confused, Thalia in the same case.

"He was my first stepfather" Percy growled out through gritted teeth. Everyone wondered who could make such a laidback person so angry.

**And yet... there were things I'd miss at Yancy. The view** **of the woods outside my dorm window, the Hudson River in the distance, the smell of pine trees.**

Thalia winced.

**I'd miss Grover, who'd been a good friend,**

**even if he was a little strange.**

"We all have that one strange friend in our lives" Apollo said rather wisely.

Artemis looked at her brother warily "That was a pretty wise quote for you Apollo"

Apollo rolled his eyes "I'm the god of Poetry so therefore the god of quotes."

Artemis scowled at losing an argument to her _younger_ brother.

**I worried how he'd survive next year without me.**

"You're a good friend" Aphrodite complemented.

"Thank you Lady Aphrodite"

**I'd miss Latin class, too—Mr. Brunner's crazy tournament days and his faith that I could do well.**

**As exam week got closer, Latin was the only test I studied for.**

"You only studied for one exam?" Athena said astounded, no longer keeping it in.

"Dyslexia" Percy responded as polite as he could muster. Athena narrowed her eyes but nodded and told Hades to continue.

**I hadn't forgotten what Mr. Brunner had told me about this subject being life-and-death for me. I wasn't sure why, but I'd started to believe him.**

"See I'm still learning" Percy said to Athena slightly irked at how Athena barely gave him a chance.

Athena shrugged, not getting enough evidence.

**The evening before my final, I got so frustrated I threw the **_**Cambridge Guide to Greek Mythology **_**across my dorm room. **

"How in the Hades can you throw a book? You ignorant little…."

Hades glared so hard Athena so hard she stopped in her sentence. Wanting to finish the chapter Hades continued.

**Words had started swimming off the page, circling my head, the letters doing one-eighties as if they were riding skateboards. There was no way I was going to remember the difference between Chiron and Charon,** **or Polydictes and Polydeuces. And conjugating those Latin verbs? Forget it.** **I paced the room, feeling like ants were crawling around inside my shirt.**

"That sounds like an fantastic prank plan." Guess who said that

"My dear brother I agree with you 100 percent." Apollo responded.

"You both need more cereal to fix your pranking problems" Demeter snapped

The demigods and Hades quietly groaned. Hades hastily read on to avoid a cereal speech.

**I remembered Mr. Brunner's serious expression, his thousand-year-old eyes. **_**I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.**_

"He still does" Percy sighed, but very glad on the inside.

"And you keep getting greater and greater" Thalia gave a rare kind smile, which Percy smiled back as a thanks.

**I took a deep breath. I picked up the mythology book.**

"See." Athena pointedly ignored him.

**I'd never asked a teacher for help before. Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. At least I could apologize for the big fat F I was about to score on his exam. I didn't want to leave Yancy Academy with him thinking I hadn't tried.**

All goddesses (Except Athena and Artemis) cooed at his desire to please.

**I walked downstairs to the faculty offices. Most of them were dark and empty, but Mr. Brunner's door was ajar, light from his window stretching across the hallway floor.**

**I was three steps from the door handle when I heard voices inside the office. Mr. Brunner asked a question. A voice that was definitely Grover's said,**

_**"...**_ **worried about Percy, sir."**

**I froze.**

**I'm not usually an eavesdropper,**

"And I don't like black" Nico rolled his eyes sarcastically

"Shut up Nico."

**but I dare you to try not listening if you hear your best friend talking about you to an adult.**

"Point taken" Demeter agreed.

**I inched closer.**

**"... alone this summer," Grover was saying. "I mean, a Kindly One in the **_**school**_**! Now that we know for sure, and **_**they **_**know too—"**

**"We would only make matters worse by rushing him," Mr. Brunner said. "We need the boy to mature more."**

"He still hasn't" Thalia said. In response he stuck out his tongue proving her point even more.

**"But he may not have time. The summer solstice dead line— **_**"**_

**"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover. Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."**

**"Sir, he **_**saw **_**her... ."**

**"His imagination," Mr. Brunner insisted. "The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that."**

**"Sir, I ... I can't fail in my duties again." Grover's voice was choked with emotion. **

**"You know what that would mean."**

"You didn't fail Grover. It was my choice." Thalia said softly.

"Thals you know technically your having a sentimental moment with a book. Are you okay?" Percy said to Thalia, putting his hand to her forehead. She jerked his hand away and zapped him when all the gods snickered.

"Shut up Percy"

**"You haven't failed, Grover," Mr. Brunner said kindly. **

"See Chiron doesn't think so."

"Still talking to a book Thals"

**"I should have seen her for what she was. Now let's just worry about keeping Percy alive until next fall—"**

**The mythology book dropped out of my hand and hit the floor with a thud.**

"NEVER GIVE AWAY YOUR POSITION" Hermes yelled.

**Mr. Brunner went silent.**

**My heart hammering, I picked up the book and backed down the hall.**

"Good get rid of all evidence." Hermes nodded approvingly

**A shadow slid across the lighted glass of Brunner's office door, the shadow of something much taller than my wheelchair-bound teacher, holding something that looked suspiciously like an archer's bow.**

"Chiron is too suspicious what if that was a regular mortal." Ares grunted

"Better than being that oblivious. Besides he could just manipulated the mist." Athena said back, Ares shrugged not caring for useless information.

**I opened the nearest door and slipped inside.**

"Even better hide when the person hunting you down." Hermes noted. Most rolled their eyes at his stealth and prank tips.

**A few seconds later I heard a slow **_**clop-clop-clop, **_**like muffled wood blocks, then a sound like an animal snuffling right outside my door. A large, dark shape paused in front of the glass, and then moved on.**

**A bead of sweat trickled down my neck.**

**Somewhere in the hallway, Mr. Brunner spoke. "Nothing," he murmured. "My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."**

"What happened at the winter solstice?" Athena questions the demigods.

They made the gesture 'lips sealed'

**"Mine neither," Grover said. "But I could have sworn ..."**

**"Go back to the dorm," Mr. Brunner told him. "You've got a long day of exams tomorrow."**

**"Don't remind me." **Grover shuddered at the thought of having to take exams.

**The lights went out in Mr. Brunner's office.**

**I waited in the dark for what seemed like forever.**

"ADHD a cruel a mistress. Saves Demigods. Also is a big problem with waiting and sitting still" Nico stated dramatically. In which his cousins rolled but snickered queitly

**Finally, I slipped out into the hallway and made my way back up to the dorm.**

**Grover was lying on his bed, studying his Latin exam notes like he'd been there all night.**

"Even though he is a bad liar he is an amazing actor" Thalia stated, Percy nodded thinking to back to that time.

**"Hey," he said, bleary-eyed. "You going to be ready for this test?"**

**I didn't answer.**

**"You look awful." He frowned. "Is everything okay?"**

**"Just... tired."**

"You shouldn't lie to your friends Percy."

"I know that now Lady Hestia."

**I turned so he couldn't read my expression, and started getting ready for bed.**

**I didn't understand what I'd heard downstairs. I wanted to believe I'd imagined the whole thing.**

**But one thing was clear: Grover and Mr. Brunner were talking about me behind my back. They thought I was in some kind of danger.**

**The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three-hour Latin exam,**

"THREE HOURS!" Thalia, Apollo, Nico, Hermes, Ares and Poseidon exclaimed.

"Unfortunately" Percy scowled.

**my eyes swimming with all the Greek and Roman names I'd misspelled, Mr. Brunner called me back inside.**

**For a moment, I was worried he'd found out about my eavesdropping the night before, but that didn't seem to be the problem.**

**"Percy," he said. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's ... it's for the best."**

**His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy Bobofit smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.**

"Why is that evil little Bastard making fun of you?" Thalia sneered.

Before Percy could answer Aphrodite did "Because she was jealous" She said dreamily thinking of love

Percy looked like he was going to throw up at the thought of Percy as his _girlfriend._

**"Okay, sir."**

**"I mean ..." Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."**

"Chiron is horrible at pep talks" Apollo said while shaking his head.

**My eyes stung.**

Apollo shook head even more.

**Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.**

**"Right," I said, trembling.**

**"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say ... you're not normal, Percy. That's nothing to be—"**

**"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."**

**"Percy—"**

"Wow Chiron you really buggered that up."

"Thank you Lord Apollo, it seems that speeches aren't my strong suit."

**But I was already gone.**

**On the last day of the term, I shoved my clothes into my suitcase.**

"Percy you really should treat clothing better" Aphrodite said.

"Of course Lady Aphrodite" He said slightly mockingly, which she didn't catch.

**The other guys were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. One of them was going on a hiking trip to Switzerland. Another was cruising the Caribbean for a month. They were juvenile delinquents, like me, but they were **_**rich **_**juvenile delinquents. Their daddies were executives, or ambassadors, or celebrities. I was a nobody, from a family of nobodies.**

"Well that is the smartest thing the boy has ever said. Old fish face is a nobody."

**They asked me what I'd be doing this summer and I told them I was going back to the city.**

"That was Sweet of those mortals." Quipped Hera.

**What I didn't tell them was that I'd have to get a summer job walking dogs or selling magazine subscriptions, and spend my free time worrying about where I'd go to school in the fall.**

**"Oh," one of the guys said. "That's cool."**

**They went back to their conversation as if I'd never existed.**

"Never mind."

**The only person I dreaded saying good-bye to was Grover, **

"Wellof course he was your only friend" Hades interrupted himself

**but as it turned out, I didn't have to. He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Greyhound as I had,**

"What are the odds of that."

**so there we were, together again, heading into the city.**

**During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he'd always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as if he expected something bad to happen.**

**Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Greyhound.**

**Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.**

**I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"**

"That would scare the lad out of his skin" Hephaestus grunted

**Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha—what do you mean?"**

"See"

"No one opposed Grease Monkey" Ares sneered.

"That is a big word 'opposed' were did you get the wisdom to say a two syllable word." Hephaestus said mockingly.

They all snickerd at Ares' face. Before he could do anything Hades continued rather quickly.

**I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.**

**Grover's eye twitched. "How much **_**did **_**you hear?"**

"Everything"

**"Oh ... not much. What's the summer solstice dead-line?"**

Athena looked thoughtful at the second mention of summer solstice dead-line

**He winced. "Look, Percy ... I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers …"**

**"Grover—" **

**"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodds, and ..."**

"Grover is a really, really bad liar." Thalia said

**"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar."**

"NOO IV'E BEEN INFECTED WITH KHD!" Thalia screamed

Apollo looked interested with a medical problem "What is KHD? And does it have a cure?"

Thaila looked saddened "It's Kelp- Head disorder and it's where you think like my Kelp-Head of a cousin. And it's incurable." She stated with fake tears rolling down her cheeks.

**His ears turned pink.**

**From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer.**

**The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, **

"Dionysus why would you have it in fancy script" Zeus asked with a hint of an anger.

"It's fun to watch them struggle"

"You are going to change that" Zeus demanded ,Dionysus looked saddened but nodded

**but I finally made out something like:**

_**Grover Underwood**_

_**Keeper**_

_**Half-Blood Hill**_

_**Long Island, New York**_

_**(800)**_ _**009-0009**_

"The camp has a landline" Questioned Thalia

"Yeah they tell everyone except the Hermes kids" Percy said while Hermes pouted. His kids could have had many pranks with the number.

**"What's Half—"**

**"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um ... summer address."**

**My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I'd never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy.**

**"Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."**

**He nodded. "Or...or if you need me."**

**"Why would I need you?"**

**It came out harsher than I meant it to.**

**Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you."**

**I stared at him.**

**All year long, I'd gotten in fights, keeping bullies away from him. I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who defended **_**me.**_

"You are such a good friend" Hestia said

"Thank you Lady Hestia"

**"Grover," I said, "What exactly are you protecting me from?"**

"Monsters, Gods, and Titians" Nico said like it was nothing .

"Soo." Percy started "Nothing much". The gods looked at him like he was crazy

"Nothing much" Poseidon squeaked out scared for his son. "Son how much do you go through in the future"

Percy sighed sadly "A lot"

**There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs.**

"That shouldn't take me more them ten minutes" Hephaestus assured everyone who looked worried.

**The driver cursed and steered the Greyhound over to the side of the highway.**

**After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else.**

**We were on a stretch of country road—no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat, was an old-fashioned fruit stand.**

Demeter sighed dreamily "Fruit" Hades rolled his eyes and continued.

**The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice**_**. **_**There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.**

Everyone gasped (Except the Demigods)

**I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn.**

Poseidon looked pale and ready to hyperventilate

**All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses.**

**The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me.**

Now he look like he wanted to cry

**I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.**

**"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man—"**

**"Tell me they're not looking at you. They are, aren't they?"**

Percy went over to his dad to comfort and reassure his father, but he had different ideas. Percy was now sitting on his lap looking embarrassed. That relived some of the tension as the gods gave a weak chuckle.

"Really dad, really" Percy whined

Poseidon pretended to look as if he didn't not see the problem "What?"

"Come on, I'm siting on your lap like I am a toddler"

"I jus reassurance your alive, son"

"Your lucky your leg is squishy and comfortable"

The gods burst into laughter. Poseidon looked torn between relived, offended, and amused.

**"Yeah. Weird, huh? You think those socks would fit me?"**

."Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all."

**"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all." Hades**

Because the moment was so serious no one noticed that Hermes said the same thing as Grover.

**The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.**

**"We're getting on the bus," he told me. "Come on."**

**"What?" I said. "It's a thousand degrees in there."**

"Just get on the bus!" shrieked Annabeth.

**"Come on!'" He pried open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back.**

**Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that **_**snip **_**across four lanes of traffic.**

When Hades read that last sentence Poseidon squeezed Percy tight for all it was worth.

"D-dad cant b-breath" Percy chocked out turning blue.

"Oops sorry, son"

"Just please don't squeeze me like a stuffed animal"

**Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for—Sasquatch or Godzilla.**

**At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life.**

**The passengers cheered.**

**"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"**

**Once we got going, I started feeling feverish, as if I'd caught the flu.**

Poseidon started to give his son a hug even tighter.

"Uncle P if the Fates don't kill the boy, you are by your hugs." Apollo said looking at a Percy . Posiedon quickly apologized.

**Grover didn't look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.**

**"Grover?"**

**"Yeah?"**

**"What are you not telling me?"**

"Can I get down now?" Percy questioned his father

"Sure son, I guess"

Percy hops down, runs, and jumped into his bean bag that Hestia conjured up for him.

**He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"**

**"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like ... Mrs. Dodds, are they?"**

"No child, they are much worse." Hestia said while looking at Percy sadly.

**His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodds. He said, "Just tell me what you saw"**

**"The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."**

**He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something else, something almost—older.**

"you are very observant." Demeter said

"Thank you Lady Demeter."

**He said, "You saw her snip the cord."**

**"Yeah. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.**

"It's a huge deal, bro" Apollo said to book Percy.

**"This is not happening," Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I don't want this to be like the last time."**

**"What last time?"**

**"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."**

"Grover it was not your fault."

"Still talking to a book Thals"

"Shut up Percy"

**"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"**

**"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."**

**This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.**

**"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.**

"I wish" Poseidon muttered

**No answer.**

**"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"**

The gods nodded solemnly.

**He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.**

"Moonlace and blue tulips" Nico said thoughtfully.

Percy rolled his eyes "I'm sure that makes people feel a whole lot better" He spoke sarcastically.

Hera said "How about we break for dinner" She suggested.

They all agreed because they were all hungry.

**Ok so Annabeth will come in either right after they finish dinner or the middle of the 4****th**** chapter. She will come in no later than the 4****th**** chapter. Sorry this is lat Beatification took a lot out of me. My school looks way better that before. **

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!**


	4. Dinner

The Demigods and gods went into the kitchen to eat dinner.

Hestia, Demeter, and Hera started to make to make the main course, when Percy stopped them and asked them a question "Where's the blue food coloring"

Hestia got it from top cabinet on the right.

"Why do you need it you need it child" Hestia questioned, just recently turning in to her 30 year old form to cook.

"To make my food blue" he responded and all three sisters turned and rose eyebrow.

"Excuse me, to do what?" Demeter asked astounded.

"To make my food blue" Percy repeated slowly, then a look of realization came upon the son of Poseidon "Oh you don't know why I do it" The sisters nodded.

"Well it's in the book so please keep it a secret" Percy said as they nodded. "See, my old step-father" Percy wrinkled his nose "Had told my mom there was no such thing as blue food, my favorite color. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the candy store worked at." He explained quickly, because he was very hungry.

They smiled at how even years in the past, he still kept traditions from his mom.

"Oh yeah I make some food for my cousins I just need a lot more food coloring" Percy said awkwardly holing up the ounce Hestia gave him.

Demeter waved her hand and on one side of the kitchen there was a pyramid of blue food coloring.

"Thank you"

Percy got to work. First, he made a blue bun and make a ¾ pound burger. He added that together the dyed the fries.

He muttered "Thalia done"

Next Percy fixed Nico's plate his favorite: pancakes. He whipped up the batter And added blueberries **.**And stacked four medium-large pancakes on a plate. Unfortunately Percy had to settle for regular syrup, not knowing how his mom makes the blue syrup. But Percy made up for it adding a few drops of food coloring to the butter.

Finally Percy came to his own plate. He boiled some noodles adding many drops of blue food coloring. Then he got some alfredo sauce and slowly mixed in and added food coloring, careful not to make it too tart. Finally he finished and put the plates on a tray he found under the sink. He turned his Aunts to find them staring in shook of his blue food.

"Never in my immortal life think I would see a blue hamburger" Hera muttered.

A voice from inside the dining room called "Yo Kelp-Head hurry up I can smell my hamburger"

Percy rolled his eyes and said to the sisters in front of them "Siblings love them, but at the same time cant said them." at their confused glances "There my brother and sister in all but blood"

They nodded and muttered "Tell me about it"

Thalia and Nico's eyes lit up when they saw there favorite blue foods.

"Aww Kelp-Head you got me my favorite a ¾ pound blue burger, thank you.!" Thalia exclaimed.

"Perce me to you got my favorite to four blue pancakes, Thank you." Nico moaned dreamily.

"Your welcome"

They got up and made their sacrifices. They looked up and saw the gods (Except Hestia, Demeter, and Hera) "Is there a problem" Percy stated awkwardly and slightly annoyed.

"What's up with your food' Apollo said looking at the blue food

"Nothing it's just blue." Thalia said exasperated.

The gods turned away and started their own convorsations.

"I wonder if Annabeth Is coming" Nico said shoving more pancakes in his mouth.

"She should be because she's a big part in the books." Percy said then swallowed a fork full of pasta.

"Yea I want to her perspective on what happens." Thalia said suggestively raising her eyebrows.

Percy blushed but hid well by taking a sip of his blue-cherry coke.

Then did held up his glass up and said loudly so the gods could here him "To Blue"

Thalia and Nico clinked there blue drinks and said "To blue"

"Why is everything blue?" Athena asked, curious.

"It's in the books" Percy said quickly.

Athena nodded a little disappointed she didn't here the reason at the moment.

Just as Hades was going to ask who wants to read a voice from the throne room doors said: "There you are Seaweed Brain"

**Well you can guess who that is. I decided to add her earlier because I want her to react to the Gabe thing. Also I've been getting questions about parts in chapters when characters who aren't there say something. Well to update everyday for you guys I copy and pasted the book words from another reading the book fan fiction. So if you see that just try to ignore it please. In this story his is going to be abused. I'm going to take my time on the 3****rd**** and 4****th**** chapter because of the reactions that will play out. Also this was shorter than I would like but I have a three year old running around my house screaming and I have to get ready for my game so yea. Sorry it was short.**

**READ AND REVIEW!**


	5. Important AN Please read

I Really hate doing AN. But this is important I had a chapter that was about 10,000 words long that's why I didn't update and I hade a cello concert. Unfortunately my 3 year old cousin turned of my computer and deleted the chapter while I went to get his shoes. I will see if I can get a new chapter up by tomorrow but wont be as good because I forgot a lot of my fillers. I will never abandon this story. So Sorry I havent updated.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO. Rick Riodan does.**

Every head turned to see a blond haired girl standing in the threshold. She had an athletic stance, like any second preparing for a fight. Most importantly she had piercing intimidating grey eyes.

The Demigods stood. Percy rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Um hi Wise Girl" Percy saiduncomfortably.

"Hi is all you say after you have gone to Olympus with out a word" Annabeth said angrily. Then curiously "Why does Olympus look different? Why are the Gods human sized? I thought you were sent here to train?" She fired of question like any daughter of Athena would.

"Sorry and what do you mean train?" Percy asked bewildered.

"Chiron got a note saying" Annabeth pulled a note out of her back pocket

'_Do not be alarmed at Percy's disappearance. He along with Thalia Grace and Nico Di Angelo have been sent to Olympus. The Olympians believe they could use more training on controlling their powers. Also, to help control their fatal flaws. They will return in 6 months to a year._

_Sincerely, _

_The Olympians'_

Now all the Demigods looked confused "No we got sent back in the past to read books about my _adventures._" Percy responded, frowning at adventures.

"Well introduce yourself young Demigod" Zeus demanded.

"I'm Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena, and Architect of Olympus." She said as she smiled at her mother, who sent a small smile back.

"Why would Olympus need an Architect?" Ares asked indignantly.

"Shut up, smart ass something could have happened in the future" Athena snapped

Hestia snapped her fingers and a grey bean bag appeared next to Percy's.

All the Demigods sat down in their respective bean bags.

Hades raised the book in the air "Who wants to-" He asked but got caught off by a voice

"Their you are Percy, sweetie." the voice said.

Again every head turned to see a woman with brown hair and blue eyes.

Before Percy could get up and say or do anything.

Nico ran up screaming "AUNT SALLY" and flung his arms around her. Sally only catching him with her mama-like reflexes.

Sally giggled and hugged Nico back. "I missed you too Nico"

Nico suddenly looked sheepish and embarrassed at what he did, quickly turning red-faced.

"Hi mom" Percy said hugging his mother.

Sally glared "How could are you going to leave for a year and not say goodbye."

"Mom before you get mad we got sent to the past to read my _adventures._" He said trying to appease his angry-mom-to-be.

Sally looked flabbergasted. "Really" She said, then getting a sly look "Now I get to know the detailed version of your quests."

Percy paled

_Uh Oh_

Thankfully Hestia saved them from an awkward moment looking amused "Would you like a bean bag or chair?" She asked.

"Bean bag please"

The gods snorted with laughter. It was pretty ridiculous a grown woman wanting a bean bag to sit on like the teenagers.

Hestia snapped her fingers and a blue bean bag appeared in between Percy's and Thalia's.

Now the seating order was (left to right) Nico, Annabeth, Sally, Percy, and Thalia.

"Why don't you intoduce yourself" Zeus grumbled. Sally nodded and stood.

"I am Sally Jackson, Mother to Percy Jackson" Thalia and Nico coughed loudly "and Aunt to Nico Di Angelo and Thalia Grace" She added.

"Who would like to read?" Hades asked annoyed, that he has asked that three times.

Poseidon raised his hand "I would"

He opened up the book to chapter three, "**"Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants,"**

Percy paled "Dad you _can_ _not_ read this chapter."

"Why son?" Poseidon asked

"You just can't" Percy said fearful.

Sally paled too "Is this when…" She trailed off, Percy nodded.

Poseidon handed the book to Hermes and he continued.

**Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.**

"That wasn't very wise" said Athena

"Or nice"

**I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"**

"Ok, I ditch him too" Apollo said.

Hermes nodded in agreement.

**Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom.**

"That's good ditch when he is off the premises" He muttered

The gods rolled their eyes.

**Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.**

"**East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.**

**A word about my mother,**

"Amazing" Thalia said immediately

"Best-cook" Nico said dreamily

"Awesome" Percy said

"Nice" Annabeth said, after thinking.

All the goddesses smiled at the Demigods love for the mother

"Thank you" Sally said smiling at all the Demigods.

**before you meet her.**

**Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world,**

"True dat"

**Which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck. **

Sally smiled sadly.

**Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for college with a good creative-writing program.**

"Hmm did you ever get into your writing dream?" Athena questions Sally

Sally smiled happily "Yes I'm in position of publishing my first book inn the future."

"How about I give you some pointers to help you" Athena offers.

Sally looked shocked and ecstatic at the same time "Thank you my lady that would great." She says, trying not to squeal in excitement.

"How did you get such a smart mortal, Kelp-Head?" Athena asked Posideon, who shrugged.

Suddenly there was a New York style whistle heard in the Demigod section.

Thalia mocked glared "Lady Athena please don't use my nickname for Percy on Uncle P." She said

"Well what else am I supposed to use then?" Athena inquired.

Thalia smirked "I don't know. You're the goddess of wisdom." She said, hoping to put a dent in her pride. It worked

Athena's eye twitched "Seaweed Brain?"

"Nope taken" Annabeth chirped.

"Hurricane head"

They shrugged not really caring anymore.

Hermes looked amused that his half-sister got bested by a Demigod.

**Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.**

Most gods gave her looks of Sympathy and pity. Sally looked to the ground. Like her son she didn't like pity.

**The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.**

"EPPPPPP" Aphrodite squealed. "That _sooo_ romantic.

Poseidon smiled at Sally. Sally smiled back but, looked away after a few seconds. She remembered about the wonderful husband she had in the future.

**I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile.**

Zeus looked enraged "You visited your Demigod son" He fumed.

Poseidon rolled his eyes "Hypocrite, you visit each and everyone of your Demigod children as infants also."

Hades snorted, which Poseidon heard.

"Hades your no better you visit your children days on end."

"Stalker" Hades and Zeus muttered.

**My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures.**

"Of course not"

**See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.**

**Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea. **

Hermes looked thoughtful "That is a lie in the truth. But, also the truth in the lie. Sweet, I like you" He said.

Percy looked disgusted, so did Thalia, Nico, and Annabeth.

Hermes noticed the weird looks "Not like that!" He exclaimed, and hastily read in.

**She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.**

Demeter and Hera smiled he sounded like a wonderful son.

**Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano,**

Percy and Sally shared a look and winced.

**Who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nick named him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.**

Everyone grimaced in disgust.

"HOW CAN ANYONE SURVIVE THAT!" Aphrodite screeched.

Percy and Sally winced.

Percy sighed "You get used"

Annabeth gripped his hand and kissed his hand for support.

Apollo snapped his fingers. Buckets appeared next to each person. Everyone looked at him curiously

Apollo shrugged "Just in case"

**Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along … well, when I came home is a good example.**

Everyone leaned forward wanting to know more about this 'Gabe'

**I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.**

"

**Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you're home."**

"**Where's my mom?"**

"**Working," he said. "You got any cash?"**

"That was it. No _Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?" _Annabeth stated_, _hating Gabe already.

**That was it. No **_**Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months? **_

Annabeth looked horrified "Oh no I think like a seaweed brain" She gasped in mock horror. They laughed at her response.

**Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something. **

Aphrodite effectively used the bucket. They were magic so her puke disappeared and replaced with a clean bucket in the old one's place.

**He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "guy secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.**

Percy paled even more and winced.

Sally gasped, tears filling her eyes. "He didn't"

Percy nodded.

Percy grabed his mother's hand and reached the door. He turned around to the following Demigods and said "Don't follow us." He growled his eyes misty.

Poseidon looked furious. That's the cleanest version. His eyes were a forest green, almost black. He gripped his trident so hard, his knuckles turned white. The lord of the sea struggled to keep his divine form in. Poseidon shook with fury. He muttered curses in all different languages. In the mortal world, Hurricanes and Tsunami raged. Terrizing and destroying many towns. Earthquakes shook all over the ground. The sea was absolutely angry. Hundreds of mortals were getting killed by the second.

The normal calm Hestia was gone after that sentence. The hearth rose four feet higher that normal. Her flaming eyes, blazed with fierceness. After reading about him, Percy seemed like a great boy. She too had trouble to keep in her divine form.

But the siblings were not scary as Demigods.

Thalia eyes were literally sockets of lightning. She had and electric blue aura surrounding her. Sparks also danced around her. She glared at everything in sight.

Nico had an deathly aura around him. Even more than usual. Skeletons stood around his, waiting for orders. He had a black aura surrounding him. He could already picture the punishments for _Gabe_.

Annabeth had a grey aura around her. She too glared at everything in sight. Her hand was clenched around her dagger.

Together the five had a message: _Gabe was going to pay._

**(With Sally and Percy)**

Sally and Percy went to an empty garden on Olympus. They sat on the bench. Sally cried on Percy's shoulder. Quickly Percy but an arm around her.

Sally looked up tears streaming down her face. "Why? Why Percy? Why didn't you tell me" She whispered, chocking back another sob.

Percy let a lone tear go down his cheek "He said he would r-r-rape you and k-k-k-kill you if I did." He said fumbling over some of his words, tears going down his face. He composed himself and finished "And I would never allow that" He said with confidence.

Sally gasped and let more tears fall down her face. "Did he leave any scars?" She questions already knowing the answer.

Percy nodded. He took of his shirt and showed the scars that went all over his mid-section.

Sally put her hand in her hands and went full on crying. Swiftly he put on his shirt. He then grabbed his mother and encased her in a hug. He rubbed and patted her back comfortingly.

"Shhh it's all behind us. Don't worry it will never happen ever again." Percy reassured.

Sally looked up to Percy's warm eyes "This is all my fault" She said sadly. "I was so selfish"

Percy wiped the tears of her face "Don't you ever say that again. It is impossible for you of all people to be selfish. Your are the nicest person in the whole wide world. Without Gabe you would have to send me to camp at like 3. I would never have spent time with you. If he wasn't there who would be there to comfort me when bullies picked on me? Who would comfort me when I felt sad my father was never in my life? Who would be so awesome and could act better that a mother and father combined? I would never have learned respect and manners. I would have grow up arrogant and Prideful. You would be the one who baked me warm cookies when it was snowing and I was cold. Who was there busting her butt just for me to have a great life? And who told me everything would be okay in the end? You are the one person who I could always trust no matter what." Percy said ending his long speech.

Sally cried tears of joy "Thank you Percy. That really means a lot"

The Two sat in silence. Waiting until this chapter ended.

(In the Throne Room)

"**I don't have any cash," I told him.**

**He raised a greasy eyebrow.**

Demeter was the next to use the bucket.

**Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.**

"**You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"**

Athena looked surprised "Wow I am surprised he can do math"

**Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."**

"At least someone's nice" Hestia said quietly

"**Am I **_**right**_**?" Gabe repeated.**

**Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels.**

"Never mind"

**The other two guys passed gas in harmony.**

Hera and Artemis used their buckets

"Men are such disgusting creatures." Artemis muttered.

"**Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose."**

"Done" Hermes and Dionysus said together.

The group looked at Dionysus shocked.

"You were actually paying attention" Hephaestus said

"And you care" Demeter said, a smile playing on her lips.

Dionysus just buried his head in his magazine.

"**Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"**

Demeter snorted "I bet his grades weren't any better." (**AN**:In this story I'm not making Demeter cereal crazy)

**I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During the school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer. **

"Wretched" Hestia muttered, appalled someone's house can look like that way.

**I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.**

"Sarcasm king" Annabeth muttered fondly. She wanted nothing more than to go out there and hug and kiss him like no tomorrow

**Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.**

**But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic—how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone—something—was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons"**

Poseidon paled.

**Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?"**

Nico, Thalia, and Annabeth smiled fondly. They all didn't really have a mother in there lives, and Sally was always their for them.

**She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.**

**My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room.**

"Aww he's so sweet at the love for his mother." Aphrodite squealed.

**Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad.**

"He descriptive" Artemis said "For a boy"

The gods sighed would her man-hating ability stop?

**I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.**

"Wow, I would have cursed him to Tartarus just for the smell." Hera commened, many goddesses nodded in agreement.

"**Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"**

**Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central.**

Apollo and Hermes drooled a the thought of candy.

**She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.**

They drooled even more.

**We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right?**

"Why couldn't our mother be like that" mumbled Hades.

**I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.**

**From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally—how about some bean dip, huh?"**

"Don't you dare even interrupt a mother-son bonding moment you bastard," snarled Demeter, gritting her teeth.

**I gritted my teeth**

Demeter sent a small smile to Percy, and remembered he wasn't there.

**My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire,**

"Or a god." whispered Apollo and raised and eyebrow to Poseidon suggestively "Eh, Uncle P?"

Poseidon just laughed quietly, the old light coming back to his eyes.

**Not to some jerk like Gabe.**

**For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself.**

"Only Kelp-Head can convince himself" Thalia muttered.

**I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner.**.

**Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.**

**Until that trip to the museum …**

"**What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"**

"Tell her, and don't lie to your mother" Hera said.

"**No, Mom."**

"Foolish" Hera sneered.

"Watch it Hera" Poseidon said with warning in his voice.

Hera glared ,but inside scared of her brothers powers.

**I felt bad lying.**

"As you should." Hera muttered under her breath.

**I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.**

"Not to her, she can she through the mist." Annabeth said.

The gods didn't look surprised. She bowed when she first got there.

**She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.**

"**I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."**

**My eyes widened. "Montauk?"**

"Percy's going to be exited." Nico said

"**Three nights—same cabin."**

"**When?"**

**She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."**

**I couldn't believe it.**

"See" Nico said smugly.

"We didn't doubt you _Nicole_" Thalia said

Nico glared and opened his mouth to retort

But Annabeth interjected "Read Lord Hermes"

**My mom and I hadn't the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.**

"He probably spent it on gambling." Hestia said with anger rising in her voice. Shit, everyone was angry.

**Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"**

**I wanted to punch him,**

"Do it!" Ares, Hermes, Apollo, and Poseidon shouted.

**But I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.**.

"**I was on my way, honey," she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."**

**Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"**

"**I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."**

"He better." Poseidon growled.

"**Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your step father is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."**

**Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip … it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"**

Aphrodite gasped," He can't do that clothes. That's it Sally is getting my blessing on clothes. They are to important to be put on a budget. And im taking her on a shopping spree." She said, making everyone gape.

"**Yes, honey," my mother said.**

"**And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."**

"**We'll be very careful."**

**Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip … And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."**

"Apologize, he paid for it."

**Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.**

The room erupted in laughter.

"He can so break the tension." Hermes said laughing, after the laughter ceased to existence he continued.

**But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.**

**Why did she put up with this guy?**

Finally the thoughts clicked. Athena gasped "She did it to cover Perseus's scent"

The gods and half-blood gasped.

"What a self-less woman" Artemis said.

**I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?**

"**I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."**

Everyone snickered at his apology.

**Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.**

Nico faked gasped "He has a brain"

"**Year, whatever," he decided.**

**He went back to his game.**

"Point proven."

"**Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about… whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"**

**For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes—the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride—as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.**

**But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.**

**An hour later we were ready to leave.**

**Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car.**

"He should've helped him do that task" Hera sneered.

**He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking—and more important, his '78 Camaro—for the whole weekend.**

"**Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not on little scrath."**

"Idiot he won't be driving.." Ares said. They were surprised that comment came from Ares

**Like I'd be the one driving. I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me. **

A lot of people shook their heads at the audacity the man had, for him to say that to a child.

**Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stair case as if he'd been shot from a cannon.**

Everyone looked shocked before bursting into laughter.

"The power the Demigod hold is.." Zeus muttered, trailing off

Poseidon heard his brother and glared "You better not be thinking about harming my son." He growled. Zeus held up hands in surrender.

**Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.**

**I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.**

**Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets,**

Athena and Annabeth shivered at the mention of spiders.

**And most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.**

**I loved the place.**

"Of couse he would" Annabeth said.

**We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.**

Poseidon smiled.

**As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea. **

Poseidon beamed.

**We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.**

"What's with all the blue food?" said Zeus,"It's supposed to be green."

**I guess I should explain the blue food.**

"That would be helpful, thanks." Hades said.

**See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This—along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano—**

"Wouldn't that be attractive." muttered Hades

**was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.**

**When it got dark, we made a fire. **

Hestia smiled

**We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before he parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough to quit the candy shop.**

"And she will" Athena said firmly.

**Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk—my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.**

Everyone smiled.

"**He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."**

"He really does look like his father." Hestia said.

**Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."**

"I am proud of him." said Poseidon. "Like any father is."

**I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive boy with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.**

"Those things don't matter to me,'' said Poseidon "All that matters is that you are nice and cared for."

"Uncle P" Hermes started "Your talking to a book, dude."

Poseidon blushed in embarrassment as all the gods snickered.

"**How old was I?" I asked. "I mean … when he left?"**

**She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Percy. Right here at this beach. This cabin."**

"**But… he knew me as a baby."**

"**No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."**

**I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember … something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.**

"I visit him often," said Poseidon thrilled his son remembered him.

**I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me…**

**I felt angry at my father.**

Poseidon paused felling the guilt swell.

**Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guys to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.**

"**Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"**

**She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.**

"**I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think … I think we'll have to do something."**

"**Because you don't want me around?"**

"Of course she does, that was rude to say" Hera said glaring at the book.

**I regretted the words as soon as they were out.**

**"**You should, you probably upset her." said Demeter.

**My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Percy, no. I—I **_**have**_** to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."**

**Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said—that it was best for me to leave Yancy.**

"Him with that horrible speech" Zeus muttered.

"**Because I'm not normal," I said.**

"**You say that as if it's a bad thing, Percy. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd be finally safe."**

"**Safe from what?"**

"Any monster that doesn't like him." Thalia snorted.

"So every monster" Annabeth chirped.

"Careful your going to give Lord Poseidon a heart attack." Nico whispered to them, noticing Poseidon in near coronary.

**She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me—all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.**

**During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.**

"Why would a cyclopes be stalking him?" Hephaestus asked Poseidon

Poseidon shrugged "Probably to check on him." He replied.

**Before that—a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.**

"Like Hercules" Artemis sneered, hating what he did to Zoë.

**In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.**

**I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword.**

"You really should." Athena said. "It would help her understand the situation she has at hand."

**But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.**

"**I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Percy—the place your father wanted to send you. And I just… I just can't stand to do it."**

"**My father wanted me to go to a special school?"**

"**Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."**

**My head was spinning. Why would my dad—who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born— talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?**

"**I'm sorry, Percy," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I—I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."**

Demeter sighed, giving away a child was that hardest thing for a mother.

"**For good? But if it's only a summer camp …"**

**She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.**

**That night I had a vivid dream**.

**It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle, were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf.**

"Why are we so angry" Zeus pondered.

**The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.**

**I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion.**

"Kronos." Everyone whispered

**I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, **_**No**_

**I woke with a start. **

**Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.**

**With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."**

**I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer But the ocean seemed to have forgotten.**

"Yea why did u forget Uncle P?" Apollo asked as Artemis slapped him.

Poseidon shrugged "It is in the future."

**Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.**

**Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice—someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.**

"Who is that?" asked Apollo

"Maybe Grover" Athena pondered.

**My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock. **

**Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't… he wasn't exactly Grover.**

"Oh he probably figures out he is a satyr" Hades commented.

"**Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"**

**My mother looked at me in terror—not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.**

"**Percy," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"**

**I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.**

"_**O Zeu kai alloi theoi!**_**" he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you **_**tell**_** her?"**

"No" Hera said glaring at the book.

**I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on—**

"So that's where the title comes in." Hermes said, interrupting himself.

**And where his legs should be … where his legs should be…**

**My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "**_**Percy.**_** Tell me **_**now**_**!"**

**I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.**

**She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. **_**Go**_**!"**

"Oooh I can sense a fight coming" Ares says dreamily.

Aphrpdite threw a high heel at him "Shut up bitch, there in trouble." She snapped.

**Grover ran for the Camaro— but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.**

**Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.**

"Done" Hermes said, closing the book.

Percy and Sally came back in. Everyone could see the faint tear stains down their faces. Luckily no one said anything as they sat down.

Nico yawned.

Athena read her watch it read 10:34pm "It is getting late. How about we call it a night?" She asked, in which everyone nodded.

"We will meet here at 7:00 tomorrow" Hera said

Percy groaned "AM?" He asked, hoping for PM

Hera nodded.

Percy "But-"

"We will meet here 7:00AM tomorrow no buts about it"

"That's bad for our health. We would only get 7 hours of sleep." Percy argued

Athena looked at him weirdly "Actually you would be getting 9 hours. Which is above the sleep requirement of 8 hours." She said smartly.

"It takes me one hour to get out of bed and wake up. Then another hour to get dressed and eat breakfast" Percy explained.

Sally sighed, having dealt with this problem. "Percy cant you just shorten your routine"

Percy shook his head "I cant if I do I break my routine. That's like breaking a promise. And Mommy didn't you tell me never to break a promise." He said, the last part childishly.

Sally sighed in defeat. She then turned to Hera "Lady Hera is it possible for us to assemble at 9:00" She said as politely as possible, also putting on her best _'See what I have to deal with' _face.

"Fine" Hera grumbled.

Hermes got up and showed them to their rooms. They were not prepared for what was in store.

**Hoped you liked the Sally/ Percy bonding Also, I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so sorr for not updating. **


	7. Bed and Breakfast

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, Rick Riodan owns it

Hermes led Sally and the Half-bloods to the guests rooms. First, Thalia went to the Artemis room. But, quickly went to the Zeus room. The reasons? There was no technology. Not even a TV. She thought that was unacceptable.

Back to the Zeus room. When Thalia entered she gasped. There was a 98' inch TV in the room. The ceiling was at least 25'feet tall. The walls were painted electric blue, that matched Thalia's eyes. On the wall where the TV hang there was endless movies, CD's, and video games. Hermes explained he made new, exclusive technology, that he wouldn't release in the mortal world for 20 years or so. So, in the room there was a Xbox360 and Kinect, Wii, and Playstation.

The room al together was 25'feet tall, 35'feet in length, and 30' feet in width.

On the wall with the bed was a desk. A computer desk. It held an Apple Macbook, black Ipod 4th generation, Black Iphone 4S , and white Ipad 2nd generation. One drawer was magic. So, think of a type of case for one of the Apple product it comes.

The bathroom as Thalia described was 'Sweet' did live up to the name. It had a large granite counter with a built in sink. Around the edges of the counter were lined up in makeup and facial cleansers. The bathtub had built in Jacuzzi's. Different types of bubble bath lined the perimeter. The tub was so clean you could see your reflection. Thalia didn't even look at the shower or the toilet. She immediately ran a bath.

Then looked for some PJs in the closet. There was a tablet outside of the closet. So, all she had was type in the clothes she wanted. She typed in 'Blue tank top' in the shirt category. In the pants categories 'Winnie the Pooh pajama pants'. What? That was her favorite show as a child. Then a red grid came out and scanned her for the perfect size. he filled the bath with strawberry scented bubble bath. After she got finished, got dressed, and brushed her teeth. She went to bed. Thalia turned on the TV and played some video games. Then turned off the lights and went to bed.

**(Percy's room)**

Percy was astonished at his room. It was about the size of Rachel's room! He almost did a happy dance, but Annabeth, Nico, Hermes, and Sally were behind him. After he waved goodbye to Nico and Hermes. Sally hugged and kissed her son on the cheek goodnight. Percy gave an Annabeth a kiss on the lips and said goodnight. Annabeth quickly ran up to catch up with the group, eager to get to her room. He turned around to admire his room. It was the same size as Thalia's room. The TV was a 80'inch. He had an Atari, Playstaion, Wii U, Wii, Xbox360, Xbox Kinect, and Nintendo 3ds.

His bed was a California King Size bed. With ocean blue beddings and many memory foam pillows. He tested out the bed by spreading out Starfish style. He moaned in agreement and comfort. He could fell it was a Temperpeidic bed, one he always wanted. Itching to just fall in a deep sleep.

But he needed a better look around the room and a bath/or shower. He found a surprise under the TV stand. Like Thalia, there was a various amount of Apple products. But, Percy's selection was better. He had a blue Ipod 5th generation. A white 5th generation Iphone with a blue and white LifeProof case. A black Ipad mini. Also, the newest Apple Macbook. He went to the closet and found the tablet. 'Sea green v-neck' He typed in the shirt category. Then, typed 'Nemo pajama pants' That was his favorite movie character. Then a red grid came out and scanned him for the perfect size, like Thalia. And out came the clothes.

He thanked the closet, then face palmed himself. _Really Percy, really you just thanked a closet, _Percy though to himself.

He went to the bathroom. Percy's bathtub and shower was larger than Thalia's because he was the son of the sea, basically water. His counter had 2 small gallon sized aquarium on the corners of the counter. The aquariums had one beta fish each in them. They were currently sleeping in there hammocks**(AN: If you did not know beta fish actually sleep. I had one and he slept in a beta hammock) **They woke up sensing Percy's aura.

_Goodnight my lord_, they said together.

"Goodnight guys" Percy whispered. There was a wall blocking off the counter, so the fish couldn't see him bathe, use the toilet, or see him get dressed. Percy put his clothes on the floor and hoped in the shower. He used the ocean breeze shower gel. After that he got dressed and brushed his teeth. He grabbed the Iphone and set a alarm to ensure he would wake up on time. Percy did not want to get chewed out by the Queen of the Gods. Then, fell asleep to a deep, dreamless sleep.

**(Sally's room)**

Since Sally was an old lover of Poseidon, she got a guest room of Poseidon. But, once she entered it looked like Athena did something to it. She said goodbye to Hermes, Nico, and Annabeth. She had a king sized bed with a temperpedic bed. Like her son always wanted one. Her room was smaller than Percy's and Thalia's room. But, she liked this way, she didn't like rooms that were humongous.

There was a 40'inch TV. But there was a large desk covered in paper and pencils. She smiled and decided to take a shower and to bed. Sally didn't want to lose any more sleep working on her book. She decided she would do that tomorrow. The 'TV wall' was split down the middle.

One side was sprawled in bookshelves. Most were writing books. Like one was 'Punctuation: How to Track and Fix' or 'Writing guide: volume' The other side had movies and old school music.

She went out to the balcony. And saw she a nice view of Mount Olympus. Sally ran a hand through her hair. Thinking and grasping how she was on Olympus. Sally was the first mortal ever to be on Olympus.

She went inside and to the closet . First, Sally picked out clothes she was going to where tomorrow. She wanted to wake up early, so she could make breakfast for the half-bloods. 'Ocean blue v-neck' She typed in the shirt category. Out came the v-neck she wanted. Not to low or high or see through. 'Blue jeans' she typed in the pants category. **(AN: just pretend it scanned her along with Nico and Annabeth when it's there turn.)**

Then thought about what she wanted for pajamas. 'pink yorkie shirt' she decided after a long thinking process. 'black sweatpants' and she grabbed the two sets clothes. Sally put her clothes for tomorrow on the desk chair. And carried the pajamas in the bathroom with her. Her counter was like Thalia's covered in makeup and perfumes. But, Sally's was more suitable for an adult.

She decided to take a bath with vanilla bubble bath. After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, she fell asleep Starfish style.

(Annabeth's room)

After saying goodbye to Hermes and Nico. She quickly analyzed her room. There was a small TV 20' inch. Which , she found to her excitement only had four channels. Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery Health, and National Geographic.

Her walls if you could see them were painted a vibrant grey.

The room was about the size of Thalia's and Percy's. But, she had a twin sized bed with grey bedding. That bed was pushed in the corner. Like, sleeping was not important. Her walls if you could see them were painted a vibrant grey. On every wall the was shelves and shelves of books. There was three desks. Two for planning and one for reading.

She went to the closet. 'Grey tank-top' she typed for the shirt category. 'Little Einsteins Pajama' That was her favorite childhood show.

She grabbed the clothes and headed toward the bathroom. After a long internal conflict, she decided to take a shower. As, she took it she thought about the situation they were in. Many questions ran through her head. Could they save Luke? Would the war even happen? Could they prevent some deaths? Who had sent them to the past? Annabeth got out of the shower. She got dressed and brushed her teeth. She found a note on the one of the desk for planning.

_Dear Annabeth,_

_We heard your questions. No, unfortunately you cannot change anything. That was the original plan. To send you back in the past to change the future, past for you. We felt that to many people died. The fates came shortly after you were sent back in the past. They said to us that what happened has to happen. The fate that happen is going to be set in stone, for once. But, the spell we casted is already set. It is irreversible. In your time everything is frozen. We put another spell to seem like everyone wasn't frozen but they really were. So when they read chapters 1-2 in the past, everyone was really frozen who you talked to. Yes it may be confusing but, you will get it in due time. Also, don't share this with anyone else we will send a note like this._

_Sincerely,_

_Ananke and Chonos _

Annabeth was sad, shocked, and relived all at the same time. She was sad she couldn't save some of her dead friends. Shocked that two primordials sent them back in time. Who she didn't know much about except there titles. She was relived that time was frozen in her time. She fell asleep reading books about Primordials.

(Nico's room)

Nico was surprised Hades even had a room. He waved farewell to Hermes. The Hades room was the same as the rest of the half-bloods. He had a 88'inch TV. The walls in his room were black. Nico saw many video games from which the Stolls and Percy taught him. He had a Playstaion, , Wii, Xbox360, Xbox Kinect, and Nintendo 3ds. The walls were covered in rock music. Also, video games and movies.

Nico was in total bliss, everything he could possibly want.

There was a two silver saucer chairs. In between them was a chrome mini fridge. That was blessed by Hestia to never to run out of food and drinks.

The bed was king sized and had red bedding. By the head post were skeletons with Greek fire eyes. He didn't know his mattress was a tempererpedic. But, found out it was when he sat down to admire his room.

On, the nightstand there was a black 5th generation Ipod, black 5th generation Iphone, black Ipad mini, and an Apple macbook. Each piece of furniture that was black, was a different shade of black. So everything didn't blend in with each other.

He walked to the closet and typed in 'white t-shirts' Even though he liked black and was a son of Hades he still wore white to bed. 'Mickey mouse pajama pants' That was his favorite childhood show.

He went into his bathroom and found it mostly white. For a bathroom that was ok by him. He decided to take a bath after a long day. He filed the bath with non-scented bubble bath. After he finished he got dressed and brushed his teeth. He went straight to bed.

(Next Morning)

Sally woke up early, as usual. She got dressed and proceeded to the kitchen. The day before she asked Percy where the kitchen was. After a long persuasion she would make breakfast he told her. She went to the kitchen and sat down. She decided she would make Blue pancakes, blue eggs, bacon, and orange juice. Just as she was about to get up a voice stopped her

"Hello" A voice from the door of the kitchen said.

Sally turned to see Hestia standing in the door frame.

Sally quickly went down into bow.

Hestia sighed "You can rise. You don't have to bow to me. A few of us gods can't stand it. Me included." She said, Sally got up "What are you doing in the kitchen?"

Sally smiled and shrugged "Cooking breakfast for Percy, Nico,Thalia, and Annabeth" She smiled as she mentioned her 'children'

Hestia smiled "They are like children to you aren't they?"

Sally smiled and nodded "Nico and Thalia both lost their mothers. So I was there to be there mother figure. Annabeth is like pretty much Percy's wife, so I'm the mother-in-law. But I'm not the evil mother-in-law. At least I don't think." They both let out a light laugh. Then Sally asked "So your making breakfast for the Olympians?" She guessed.

Hestia nodded "Shall we start?' She asked and Sally nodded.

For the next 30 minutes the two traded cooking tips and had a somewhat friendship.

"Is that pancakes?" A voice questioned.

Hestia turned around, but Sally didn't even glance "Yes Nico" She said

Nico quickly sat down, yawned, and stretched "Good morning Aunt Sally and Lady Hestia." He said.

"Good morning" They said cheerfully.

"Good morning" Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy said entering the kitchen.

"Good morning" Hestia, Sally, and Nico said

Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy sat down.

Percy looked at Nico strangely "Really Death-Breath? Mickey mouse."

Thalia defended "Really Kelp-Head? Nemo"

Nico looked at Thalia strangely "Really Pinecone Face? Winnie the Pooh"

The children of the big three continued to argue. Annabeth just sat next to Percy bored.

"Argue just like their fathers" Hestia muttered to Sally.

"You don't know the half of it" Sally muttered and turned around and did a New York City cab whistle. They all stopped arguing looking at Sally, who put the food in front them. Which they immediately made sacrifices.

Then the Olympians came in "Good morning" they chorsed

"Good morning" Hestia, Sally, Nico, Thalia, Annabeth, and Percy said.

After they finished breakfast and the Demigods got dressed they assembled in the Throne room.

Hermes held up the book "Who wants to read?"

Hera raised her hand "I would"

Hermes passed her the book.

She read. "**"My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting,"**

**All right, I went to the carnival yesterday, so couldn't update. I'll tell you right now I'm twelve so I'm not good at grammar and punctuation. The only reason I get spelling right because of spell check on word. **

**READ AND REVIEW PLEASE**


	8. Chapter 8

**"My Mother Teaches Me Bullfighting,"** said Hera

Sally and Percy winced, this was not a good memory.

"You can bullfight?" Apollo questioned

Sally shook her head solemnly, hoping she could leave the room with Percy again.

Thalia and Nico leaned ahead. They heard a few details about this part, but not the whole story.

**We tore through the night along the dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the wind shield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything,**

"I couldn't" Sally admitted.

**but she kept her foot on the gas.**

**Every time there was a flash of lightning,**

Most people glared at Zeus. But Zeus was squirming from the harsh glare coming from Poseidon.

**I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I'd gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet pants.**

"Really Seaweed Brain of all names you had to compare that too." Annabeth deadpanned.

"Hey I was twelve at the time!" Percy tried to defend.

"So? When I was twelve I could make up better nicknames." Nico pointed out.

Percy scratched his neck, embarrassed. They had got him.

Meanwhile, Hermes and Apollo looked thoughtful, which Artemis saw.

"What are you two thinking?" Artemis asked narrowing her eyes, not in the mood to deal with immature men.

Apollo looked up from his mental conversation. "We thought we could make a business selling shag carpeted pants."

Thalia snorted "So when they get dirty, what are you going to do? Call Stanley Steemers." She joked

The whole room bust out laughing at the joke.

"Stanley Steemers the carpet cleaners." Percy song.

That threw out a new batch of laughter.

When everyone was calm and settled Hera continued and read.

**But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips**

Percy leaned back with his hands on his head "Ahh those were the days. The worst thing you had to worry about is scraping your knee in hopscotch." He said, not noticing the slip up.

Nico snickered and raised an eyebrow "You played _hopscotch_?"

Everyone snickered at the girly game

Percy blushed, but tried to hide it "What? It was a fun game.

"All hail the mighty son of Poseidon, who played hopscotch!" Thalia bellowed dramatically.

The snickering quickly increased from Thalia's claim, most were laughing. Hermes and Apollo were crying from laughter.

"Be quiet Ms. Winnie the Pooh" Percy teased, remembering this morning.

Annabeth, Sally, and Hestia groaned remembering this morning's argument.

"What was that Mr. Nemo." Thalia replied.

"Be quiet Ms. Winnie the Pooh." Percy said

They got in a full blown argument, in which Nico got thrown into the mix.

Percy sighed "Come on guys this is stupid." he said.

Thalia and Nico "Yea we are arguing like _kindergartners_." Thalia smirked.

They had a good laugh and sat down.

The gods just gaped, at how easily they resolved the fight.

"You argue like you fathers, like over stupid things…" Demeter trailed off.

"But, you stopped and resolved the fight unlike them" Hera finished.

They shrugged "They are like my siblings" They said in sync.

Hera looked at her brothers "That's a shame. Your children are not even siblings but can resolve fight better than you" She said and continued

**to the petting zoo— lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal.**

**All I could think to say was, "So, you and my mom… know each other?"**

"Nice ice-breaker" Hermes snorted.

**Grover's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."**

"Stalker" Hermes coughed.

"**Watching me?"**

"Stalker" Apollo coughed

"**Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay.**

"Stalker" Hermes and Apollo coughed.

"Shut the Fuck up" Artemis yelled, irritated. She smacked them upside the head.

**But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily. "I **_**am**_** your friend."**

"**Urm … what **_**are**_** you, exactly?" **

"**That doesn't matter right now."**

"I think qualifies in the things that matter category." Nico muttered.

"**It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey—"**

Dionysus, Ares, Apollo, Hermes, Poseidon, Thalia, Nico, Annabeth, and Sally burst out in laughter.

"Grover is not going to like that" Thalia gasped out.

**Grover let out a sharp, throaty "**_**Blaa-ha-ha**_**!" **

"Told ya" Thalia said now down to snickering, as the group who were laughing.

"**I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.**

"**Goat!" he cried.**

"**What?"**

"**I'm a goat from the waist down!"**

"Truth be told you did say it didn't matter." Nico said, to book-Grover.

"**You just said it didn't matter."**

Nico looked horrified "NO I HAVE CPJS" he said as fake tears slid down his face.

The gods looked confused

Apollo looked interested in a new disesase, that might or might not have a cure. "What's that?" He asked.

"Chronic Percy Jackson Syndrom." Nico said wiping his tears. "It's where you start thinking and talking like my cousin." He finished.

Percy scowled but, hid a smile.

"_**Blaa-ha-ha**_**! There are satyrs who would trample you under hoof for such an insult!"**

"That would be fun to watch." Ares said as his eyes gleamed.

"**Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like … Mr. Brunner's myths?"**

"**Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a **_**myth**_**, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"**

"**So you **_**admit**_** there was a Mrs. Dodds!" **

Annabeth huffed and rolled her eyes "Your such a Seaweed Brain"

Percy smiled and leaned over "But I'm your Seaweed Brain"

"That was so cheesy but you are right _my_ Seaweed Brain"

Percy and Annabeth leaned in and kissed each other. Just as they were going to step it up a little, someone cleared there throat in the background.

The couple turned slowly around. They saw the gods staring at Son of Sea and Daughter of wisdom with wide eyes.

"Your dating the Sea Spawn" Said with narrowed eyes back and forth between Poseidon and Percy.

"Mom please don't do anything to Lord Poseidon and/or Percy. He makes me happy and I love him. He would never ever do anything to hurt me. Words cannot fathom how hurt, angry, and ashamed I would be at you. If you hurt him, you hurt me." Annabeth said, with warning tone in her voice.

Athena unnarowed her eyes a bit. She was shocked at her protection.

Athena sighed "Fine. But you could do so much better-"

"Hey!" Percy said, as a few people snickered.

Athena rolled her eyes "As I was saying you could do better. I mean look at the Son of Hades of there" She said pointing to Nico.

Nico raised his hands in a surrendering motion "No thanks I'm good. Percy can keep her."

Aphrodite looked up "We need to get you a girlfriend." She said smiling seductively.

Nico paled, if possible "No thank you" He said quickly, then turned to Hera "Please read"

She continued quickly, for the sake of the Son of Hades.

"**Of course."**

"**Then why—"**

"**The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."**

"**Who I—wait a minute, what do you mean?"**

"It means your a Half-blood" Thalia said slowly, as she was talking to a toddler.

"I know. I'm not a gods damn baby" Percy grumbled.

"Percy!" Sally chastised.

"Sorry Mommy" Percy squeaked, in a childish voice.

Everyone burst out in laughter at Percy's childish manner.

**The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.**

Sally flinched.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow at Hades barely controlling his anger. Hades wasn't looking at Poseidon, being oblivious.

Poseidon cleared his throat. Everyone turned to him.

"Hades…." He trailed.

Hades slowly inched away from his enraged brother.

"**Percy," my mom said, "there's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."**

"**Safety from what? Who's after me?**

"Your stupid, no good, insufferable, paranoid, and ill-tempered uncles." Poseidon spat.

Hades and Zeus knew Poseidon was more powerful than both of them.

Hades leaned over to Zeus "I think he will blow a gasket soon." He whispered, to which everyone heard except Poseidon

They snorted with laughter.

That shocked Poseidon out of his façade for a moment.

"What is so funny?" Poseidon question, obliviously.

The group just responded with another snort.

"**Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."**

"That hasn't changed much" Percy said to Hades dryly.

"Sorry" He responded with no sincerity.

"Nice apology" Percy said sarcastically.

"**Grover!"**

"**Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"**

**I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn't do it. I knew this wasn't a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird.**

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there will ever be to know and understand." Hestia stated wisely.

Athena raised an eyebrow "I believe knowledge is better"

Now Hestia raised an eyebrow "Albert Einstein your son, wrote that presise quote. Are you now doubting your children?" She responded calmly, knowing the debate was won.

Athena looked down "No" She said quietly, her pride injured.

Poseidon winked to his favorite sister, who quietly giggled.

**My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES**

"Ahhh strawberries" Demeter sighed dreamily. She snapped her fingers and all the goddesses, Sally, Aannabeth, and Thalia got juicy, delectable strawberries on their laps.

Nico reached for a strawberries in Thalia's bowl, but Thalia slapped Nico on the hand.

Percy reached hoping for one, since it was his girlfriend. But, no luck she slapped his away too.

The same happened for Apollo, Hermes, Zeus, and Ares, they didn't notice the other males conjure up themselves strawberries.

Artemis rolled her eyes "Idiots. Your are gods you can just poof up your own food." She almost yelled frustrated.

The gods who weren't smart enough quickly conjured up their own food, everyone had strawberries except for two.

"Dwaddy" Percy said putting on his best innocent child voice and puppy dog face "Can cwousin Nicky and I Pwease get some stwaberriers. Pweety pwease" He said and everyone could admit it was a cute sight to see.

Poseidon chuckled "Sure I will get you and _cwousin_ _Nicky_ some _stwaberries_." He said some words like Percy's.

Poseidon snapped his fingers and the same strawberries a everyone else was eating.

Nico looked up innocently, playing the Poseidon and Percy card "Thank you Uwncle Pollysidan" he said child-like.

Many people chocked on their strawberries.

"Well Polly" more people almost chocked "You were one of the smart ones who conjured up their own strawberries." She said meticulously.

Poseidon shrugged "To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe, Marilyn vas Saval" He stated.

"Polly are you okay. That was …well… intelligent." Athena said shocked.

Poseidon looked cautiously "The question are you okay. I have been alive longer than you. As the quote says _'To acquire wisdom one must observe' _I have been beveling for a long, long time."

"Eldest Gods: 2 Newer Gods:0. But, it is still early in the game. Will the Newer Gods catch up?" Apollo bellowed in an announcer voice.

"Don't say elder that makes me sound old" The six elder gods said simultaneously.

Hera continued before anyone can protest.

**signs on white picket fences.**

"**Where are we going?" I asked.**

"Camp Half-Blood" Annabeth said, shoving a strawberry in her mouth, thinking about her home.

"**The summer camp I told you about." My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."**

"It's the safest place for demigods" Hephaestus muttered, anxious to go back to his forge on Mt. Saint Helens.

"**The place you didn't want me to go."**

"**Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."**

"**Because some old ladies cut yarn." **

"**Those weren't old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means—the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to … when someone's about to die."**

"**Whoa. You said 'you.'"**

"**No I didn't. I said 'someone.'"**

"**You meant 'you.' As in **_**me**_**."**

"**I meant **_**you**_**, like 'someone.' Not you, **_**you**_**."**

"Boys" Artemis muttered.

"That was really aggravating" Sally said rubbing her temples.

"Sorry mom"

"**Boys!" my mom said.**

**She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid—a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.**

Percy stiffened.

"**What was that?" I asked.**

"**We're almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question.**

"**Another mile. Please. Please. Please."**

Poseidon muttered under his breath "Please, please, please, please, please…"

**I didn't know where **_**there**_** was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.**

As was everyone who didn't hear the story.

**Outside, nothing but rain and darkness—the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodds and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with the pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really **_**hadn't**_** been human. She'd meant to kill me.**

"Nooo, she meant to take you to a tea party" Ares said sarcastically.

**Then I thought about Mr. Brunner … and the sword he had thrown me. Before I could ask Grover about that, the hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw-rattling **_**boom!**_**, and our car exploded.**

"That sounds like…" Poseidon trailed off, glaring at Zeus.

**I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried, and hosed down all at the same time.**

**I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow."**

"**Percy!" my mom shouted.**

"**I'm okay…" **

**I tried to shake off the daze. I wasn't dead. **

"Hey can you imagine if Percy had died" Nico said, wincing.

"Chaos" Thalia said.

"Pain" Annabeth said

"End of the world" Sally said.

The gods look curious. How much did the boy accomplish?

**The car hadn't really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and the rain was pouring in.**

**Lightning.**

Poseidon jumped out of his throne "THERE WAS NOT NEED TO THROW LIGHTNING AT THEM, YOUR BOTH TRYING TO MAKE THEM MEET DEATH!" He roared.

"THEY SHOULD BE KILLED WE HAD AN OATH THAT WE SWORE TO KEEP!"

Zeus bellowed, slightly scared.

Suddenly a gigantic wave at least 75 feet, crashed down on the two brothers.

Percy stood looked tired, annoyed, and furious "ENOUGH" He bellowed before the brothers could speak again, he took a deep breath to calm himself "Dad, drop it this was in the past. I'm still alive. So is my mom. No harm done, it's fine. We don't need to deal with useless fights. Lord Zeus, in the future you have not one, but two children of you r own. So no disrespect but your being hypocritical. To both of you, we don't have time to argue every five minutes." Percy said, while sitting down.

Zeus was opening his mouth to speak but found he could not, the demigod had a valid point. As he sat down, Hera slapped him on the face. Hard.

"Jackass, you can never keep it in your pants" She seethed.

Annabeth looked at Percy weirdly "Wow Seaweed Brain, I didn't think you knew a five syllable word."

Percy rolled his eyes "Spending time with a certain Wise Girl pays off" He said giving Annabeth a quick peck on the lips.

The other gods jaws dropped they hadn't known that Zeus had broken the oath twice but, they had expected him to do so.

Apollo held out his hand out to Hermes "I won bro, hand over the prize."

Hermes handed Apollo a bag of Drachmas. Hermes was grumbling under his breath about 'unfair bet'

Hades had a twinge of interest on his face "What you two bet on this time?" He asked

Apollo looked up from his prize "We betted over who would brake the oath twice first. Hermes betted Poseidon and I betted Zeus. The prize was 300 drachmas."

Poseidon rolled his eyes "The love and faith you have in us is amazing" He said sarcastically.

Apollo pretended to ignore the sarcasm "I know right"

**That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump. "Grover!"**

**He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of this mouth. **

Poseidon raised an eyebrow "No harm done?" he said to Percy.

"Maybe a teeny little harm." Percy replied holding his fingers a centimeter.

**I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!**

"You're good friend, Percy" Hestia said

"Thank you"

**Then he groaned "Food," and I knew there was hope.**

"**Percy," my mother said, "we have to …" Her voice faltered.**

**I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering toward us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was dark silhouette of a huge, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns.**

Poseidon eyes narrowed in concentration. His eyes almost bugged out of their socket

In fear he turned to Percy "The Minotaur" He mouthed.

Percy just nodded solemnly.

**I swallowed hard. "Who is—"**

"**Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."**

**My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking. **

"**Climb out the passenger's side!" my mother told me. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"**

"_**What?**_**" **

**Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill.**

Thalia looked up "Oh look it's me" She chirped, the gods looked at her like she had grown a second head "It should come in later in the book later" She added

"**That's the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."**

"**Mom, you're coming too."**

Sally sighed "I couldn't"

**Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean. **

"**No!" I shouted. "You **_**are**_** coming with me. Help me carry Grover."**

"You are loyal for a boy." Artemis commented, slowly gaining respect for the son of the sea.

"Thanks" Percy said, thinking that it was the best compliment he was going to get from Artemis.

"**Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.**

**The man with the blanket on his head kept coming toward us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he **_**couldn't **_**be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands—huge meaty hands—were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head … was his head. And the points that looked like horns…**

"The Minotaur" Hephaestus grunted.

The gods looked at Percy and Sally, one thought running through there immortal minds.

_How did he survive._

"**He doesn't want **_**us**_**," my mother told me. "He wants **_**you**_**. Besides, I can't cross the property line."**

"**But…"**

"**We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."**

**I got mad, then—mad at my mother,**

**At Grover the goat, at the thing with horns that was lumbering toward us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull.**

"Because it is a bull"

**I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We're going together. Come on, Mom."**

"**I told you—"**

"**Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover."**

**I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid.**

Demeter smiled what a good mother.

**Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through the wet waist-high grass.**

**Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of **_**Muscle Man**_** magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under the vein-webbed skin. **

**He wore no clothes except underwear— I mean, bright white Fruit of the Looms—which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.**

**His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.**

**I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us. But he couldn't be real.**

**I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "That's—"**

"**Pasiphae's son," my mother said.**

"Hmm, she is very smart," said Athena

"**I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."**

"Nobody should want to kill him," said Poseidon

"**But he's the Min—"**

"**Don't say his name," she warned. "Names have power."**

**The pine tree was still way too far—a hundred yards uphill at least.**

**I glanced behind me again.**

**The bull-man hunched over our car, looking in the windows—or not looking, exactly.**

**More like snuffling, nuzzling. I wasn't sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifty feet away.**

"**Food?" Grover moaned.**

"**Shhh," I told him. "Mom, what's he doing? Doesn't he see us?"**

"**His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he'll figure out where we are soon enough."**

"Smart woman." said Athena

"Thank you Lady Athena"

**As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded. **

_**Not a scratch,**_**I remembered Gabe saying.**

**Oops.**

Everyone laughed.

"Only you would say oops, when destroying a car, Kelp-Head" Thalia gasped out.

After everyone was settled

"**Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he'll charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way—directly sideways. He can't change directions very well once he's charging. Do you understand?"**

"Nice plan" guess who said that? That's right Dionysus.

"**How do you know all this?"**

"**I've been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me."**

"You can never be selfish, Aunt Sally" Nico told her.

Sally gave a tired smile "Sometimes you have to be selfish to be selfless, Nico."

"**Keeping me near you? But—"**

**Another bellow of rage, and the bull-man started tromping uphill.**

**He'd smelled us.**

"Great" Thalia said sarcastically.

**The pine tree was only a few more yards, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover wasn't getting any lighter.**

Ares grinned.

**The bull-man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us. **

**My mother must've been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said."**

**I didn't want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right—it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat.**

**He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest.**

**The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, **

"Wimp." Ares muttered., Percy rolled his eyes.

Poseidon doused him with water from Antarctica.

**But that wouldn't work. I could never outrun this thing.**

**So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side.**

**The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not toward me this time, toward my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.**

Sally blinked back tears, from memories.

In a quick fluid motion Percy grabbed Sally's hand. They were out before anyone could blink. The half-bloods were about to get up, but remembered what happened last chapter.

**(Percy and Sally)**

The mother and son went to the same place as before.

Sally had two loan tears go down her cheeks.

"Mom?" Percy asked, which Sally looked up.

"Yes Percy"

"Do you get nightmares from this?"

Sally sighed and looked away "Yes, if I hadn't-"

Percy cut her off "This wasn't your fault. _Nobody is Perfect, so accept who you are. Don't be so hard on yourself, just be grateful for this life that has been given to you_."

Suddenly, Percy groaned "Why did I have to red your quote book?"

Sally gave a small laugh.

**(Throne Room)**

**We'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We'd never make it.**

**The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.**

"**Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any farther. Run!"**

**But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, as she'd told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.**

"Nico and Thalia gasped, with tears forming in their eyes.

"**Mom!"**

**She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"**

**Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into the light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply … gone.**

Nico, Thalia, and Annabeth had tears running down their faces.

Nico looked confused, as did the gods. That's not how someone dies.

Athena gasped in realization "She has been captured by a God."

All heads turned to Hades.

Hades shrugged "Most likely me." There stares didn't waver "It's in the future, so stop staring and pay attention" He snapped.

"**No!" **

**Anger replaced my fear.**

"Uh oh that Minotaur is dead" Seeing the confused looks Thalia continued "When Perce is angry there is nothing that will stand in his way.

**Newfound strength burned in my limbs—the same rush of energy I'd gotten when Mrs. Dodds grew talons. **

**The bull-man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too.**

**I couldn't allow that. **

_Very loyal_, Artemis thought

**I stripped off my red rain jacket.**

"**Hey!" I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground beef!"**

Hermes looked at the book disgusted "Dude you need better nicknames." He said to book-Percy.

Nico sat up "I was only twelve!" He said doing a bad Percy impression.

Some chuckled, but it was tense.

"**Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned toward me, shaking his meaty fists.**

**I had an idea—a stupid idea, but better than no idea at all.**

"Stupid ideas are the best ideas," smiled Hermes.

"Wise ideas are better because there's a better chance they will work." Athena argued

**I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I'd jump out of the way at the last moment.**

**But it didn't happen like that.**

"It never does." Nico muttered.

**The bull-man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge.**

**Time slowed down.**

The Half-bloods shared a look, that remained them of a being way too much.

**My legs tensed. I couldn't jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair, and landing on his neck.**

"How did he do that?" Ares asked

**How did I do that?**

"I feel bad for Percy he has similar thoughts to Ares" Apollo said solemnly.

Ares just glared, not smart enough to make a come back.

**I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.**

Thalia winced.

**The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes. The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils.**

"Wretched" Aphrodite shivered.

**The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull. He should have just backed up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.**

A lot of people nodded, that was for a lot of monsters.

**Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off.**

"Someone in Asphodel died like that. He was trying to prove he had strong teeth, and he bit off his tongue." Hades commented.

"Stupid men and their pride" Artemis grumbled.

"**Food!" Grover moaned.**

Hephaestus rolled his eyes "That's really helping the situation." He grunted sarcastically.

**The bull-man wheeled toward him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high-octane fuel.**

"That was an interesting simile." Athena mused

**I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backward with all my might.**

Ares rolled his eyes "Like the kid is strong enough to snap it off." He boasted.

**The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then—**_**snap!**_

Ares looked flabbergasted.

Poseidon raised an amused eyebrow "You were saying Ares?" He taunted

Ares eye twitched but he just grumbled.

**The bull-man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass.**

Some people flinched.

**My head smacked against a rock. **

Now everyone flinched and winced.

"Oooo that outta hurt. Flying and landing on your back, then smacking your head on a rock" Hermes commented, wincing.

**When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife.**

"At least he has a weapon" Demeter said, trying to look on the bright side.

**The monster charged.**

**Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barreled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under the furry rib cage.**

Everyone cheered except Ares and Dionysus. Dionysus was sleeping. Ares was still grumbling how the kid was string enough to pull its horn off.

**The bull-man roared in agony. He flailed, clawing at his chest, then began to disintegrate—not like my mother, in a flash of golden light, but like crumbling sand, blown away in chunks by the wind, the same way Mrs. Dodds had burst apart.**

**The monster was gone.**

**The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief. I'd just seen my mother vanish.**

Thalia and Nico wiped there fresh tears coming out of their eyes.

**I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, so I managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, toward the lights of the farm house. I was crying, calling for my mother, but I held on to Grover—I wasn't going to let him go.**

"That is so sad and sweet" Hestia said and all the goddesses nodded in agreement.

**The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at the ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar—looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's.**

Annabeth raised an eyebrow and blushed.

**They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."**

"**Silence, Annabeth,"**

The gods turned to Annabeth, who was still blushing.

**The man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."**

Percy and Sally came back in, like before nobody said a word.

"finished" Hera held up the book.

Poseidon raised his hand

Hera passed Poseidon the book and he read. "**I Play Pinochle With a Horse,"**

**Just to let you know if you were wondering. Stanley Steemers established in 1947, so the gods know about that. ****And for the Percabeth, im not good at romances. Originally this wasn't even going to have Annabeth. ****I'm sorry for not updating. I'll tell you the truth I was reading another book and didn't feel like updating. I'm telling you now if I don't feel like it, the chapter is going to absolutely suck. ****Every time I tried to update something came up, and by the time I got back I went straight to sleep. This**** chapter is dedicated to my grandfather. He was a veteran who served for over 40 years. He died of unknown causes and I miss him. To a lesser extent this is dedicated to people fighting and fought for our country. Happy belated Memorial Day.**


	9. Sorry again

Again I hate doing author notes, but this is very important. I most likely won't update for a week or two. I have yet to finish a ¼ of the next chapter. If you would like I can post ½ a chapter soon, but that is up to you all. Good news though this is the last week of school for me so after these two weeks you will most likely get updates everyday. So thanks to all who Reviewed, Favorited, and Followed. You don't know how much of an inspiration to me and this fanfic.


	10. Chapter 10

**"I Play Pinochle With a Horse," **

"Chiron is not gonna like that" Apollo sang

"No shit Sherlock" Artemis hissed with a murderous glare.

_Wow just the title and they're already fighting_, Hestia thought and waved for Poseidon to continue.

**I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted food.**

"Oh no, the barnyard animals will take over. Run for your lives it's the BANYARD ANIMAL apocalypse!" Apollo bellowed dramatically, a trait from his father.

Hermes and Apollo then ran around the throne, like headless chickens.

Of course they had years of training and one of them was a god of speed, they passed by in a blur.

Once they stopped and sat down (after many _silver_ arrows pierced their manhood) Apollo healded them while Poseidon started reading, eager to learn about his son's condition.

**I must've woken up several times,**

"You did" Annabeth informed Percy, intertwining their hand together.

**but what I heard and saw made no sense, so I just passed out again. **

**I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding. **

"Ambrosia" Athena chimed in, naming the godly food**. **

**The girl with curly blond hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.**

"Ugh." Athena sneered, "Why does _my_ daughter have to be around _that sea spawn_, at such an early age. He probably starts corrupting her at such an early age!" She rambled.

Annabeth pinched the bridge if her nose with her free hand, to stop the oncoming headache "Mom" she started "Percy did not coruppt me. Then or now I am actually smarter now, from continuous reading and studying." She explained exasperated.

Athena 'humped' and rudely gestured for Poseidon to continue.

**When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"**

"Did you really think I would know that?" Percy asked turned, now facing Annabeth with an eyebrow raised waiting for an answer.

Annabeth shrugged "It didn't hurt to try"

**I managed to croak, "What?"**

"How could you have thought he knew anything?" Athena asked to Annabeth "He is just a useless sea spa-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH ATHENA, you can call me useless, but when ti comes to my family that's a line no one, I mean no one can cross. So I suggest you shut up and pay attention to the book that I'm about to read."

Athena shrunk under the glare of her long-time rival.

But before he could continue he heard cheering:

"Get it Dad"

"Get it Uncle P"

Posiedon rolled his eyes but, had a small smile on his face, from the cheering from his son and nephews. He continued with the book.

**She looked around, as if afraid someone would over hear. "What's going on? What was stolen? We've only got a few weeks!"**

Percy rubbed his temples

"I could not even contemplate those questions, I was on mental overload" Percy moaned.

Annabeth kissed on the cheek "I'm sorry, you feel better?"

Percy grinned "Yes I am" and gave her peck on the lips , as Poseidon continued.

**"I'm sorry," I mumbled, "I don't..."**

**Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding.**

**The next time I woke up, the girl was gone.**

"Awwwww" Aphrodite squealed "You miss her already. Yes you do, yes you do" She said like talking to a puppy.

Not knowing what to say Percy motioned for Poseidon to continue.

**A husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me. He had blue eyes- at least a dozen of them- on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands.**

"Argus " Hera smiled.

**When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except that they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. **

"Strawberries" Demeter breathed out, snapped her fingers, and a bowl of strawberries appeared on her lap.

Hades rolled his eyes, at his crazed sister.

**There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. **

"Living the high life, eh Perce?" Nico nudged.

Percy kicked back on his bean bag "I know I am, what bout' you Thals?"

Thalia also kicked back like her cousins "Yep"

Some gods chucked at their antics

While, Sally shook her head "You three are too much"

"You know you love us" They choused.

"Unfortunately" She said with a sarcastic grin.

"Hey" The chorused again, sitting up from their relaxed position.

**All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.**

"You're going to be sore that was some feat, lad" Hephaestus said. _**(AN: This is weird I can spell Hephaestus with ease but, I have trouble spelling something easy like Hermes.)**_

**On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry.**

p"It might look like a tropical drink…" Nico started in an ominous voice.

"But it has many dangers, that lie in a single cup." Thalia finished in an equally ominous voice.

Percy rolled his eyes "Please continue Dad" He said

**My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.**

"I hope he will be fine." Hestia said.

Percy smiled at her "I was fine Milady"

Hestia smiled back.

**"Careful," a familiar voice said.**

**Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week.**

**Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. Just plain old Grover, Not the goat boy.**

"Thalia mock glared "How are you just gona steal my nickname for Grover" Percy opened his mouth to reply but she was roll "You don't see stealing your nicknames for Annabeth. Now do you? I'll let Nico slide since he doesn't have any other good nicknames. But how would you like if it-" She was cut off by Percy putting his hand over her mouth.

All of the sudden, Percy jerked back his hand.

His face showing nothing but pure disgust

"Eww you licked me Sparky" He complanied wiping his hand on his shorts.

Thalia rolled her eyes "Well, Kelp-head if you would not have put your had over my mouth. And Gods know where it has been."

"Hey its clean" Percy defended.

"Are you sure."

"I'm sure"

"Are you really sure"

"I'm really sure"

"Are you really, really sure"

"I'm really, really sure"

"Are you really, really, re-"

"Alright we get it, he is really sure. Now if you could be so kind brother." Hestia cut them off.

When Hestia had her attention towards Poseidon, Thalia and Percy stuck out their tongues at each other.

"Saw that" She said not even turning around.

"Stupid godly seeing" Thalia and Percy muttered under their breaths at quiet as they could.

"Heard that too."

**So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and we'd stopped here at this big house for some reason. **

**And...**

Percy and the Demigods sighed sadly. _If only…_

**"You saved my life," Grover said. "I... well, the least I could do ... I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this."**

"Way to ruin the dream goat boy" Nico muttered.

**Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.**

**Inside was a black-and-white bull's horn, **

"That is so sad," Demeter said "Just when he thinks it's a nightmare, reality comes back and crashes down on you." She said quietly, because the boy looked rather depressed at the moment, but the Gods heard her and agreed.

**the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood. It hadn't been a nightmare.**

**"The Minotaur," I said.**

**"Urn, Percy, it isn't a good idea-"**

**"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" I demanded. "The Minotaur. Half man, half bull."**

Nico face palmed.

Hades raised an eyebrow "Living on the edge Perseus I see"

Percy grinned at his uncle "The only way to live."

**Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?"**

**"My mom. Is she really ..."**

**He looked down.**

**I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. **

Thalia winced remembering her days as a 'huge pine tree.' But smiled after a moment remembering how Percy saved her.

**Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.**

**My mother was gone.**

Percy and Sally wiped their tears away, quickly so no one would see them spilling out their eyes onto their cheeks.

**The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look beautiful.**

Most goddesses were now sniffing, getting over their own tears.

**"I'm sorry," Grover sniffled. "I'm a failure. I'm- I'm the worst satyr in the world."**

The demigods rolled their eyes.

"No matter how.." Percy started

"Much we tell him…" Annabeth continued

"That he is the.." Thalia picked up.

"The best satyr out their.." Nico continued

""He always says he's the worst satyr in the world" They finished, mimicking Graver's voice.

Some better than others.

Some people snickered at the bad impression.

**He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. **

"That shock the heck out of me" Percy said

"Not as bad as Nico huh?" Thalia nudged Nico and Percy.

**The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.**

**"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled.**

**Thunder rolled across the clear sky.**

"Why does thunder rumble, when you say that?" Thalia curiously asked.

"Cause Lady Styx gets offended when people curse her." Percy asked.

"When we cuss in or say 'what the Hades' thunder doesn't rumble." Thalia said, then got a look of confusion on her face "Since when do you know that Kelp- Head?" She asked her dark haired cousin.

"Cuz Lady Styx's river does more beneficial things, no offense Uncle Hades, like bless invincibility." He explained "When me and Annabeth to the trip to T dark" Percy and Annabeth shuddered. "Lady Styx helped us out along ."

Poseidon leaned forward trying to keep the worried expression off his face, but was failing miserably. "Where is this 'T dark' located?" He asked.

Percy bit his lip "In the un.. ACHOO!" He faked sneezed.

Poseidon rolled his eyes "That was fake but, bless you. Now where is this place located." He asked once again.

"Well its in the underworld" He said quietly but was heard everyone.

Athena gasped realization and fear racing in her grey eyes "You went into Tartarus didn't you?"

"Yep" Nico said sadly.

"And you survived?" Asked Hades said shocked.

Sally and the Demigods nodded.

"Can you read please dad. Having the most 14 power fullest beings stare at ya is not comfortable." Percy said, said shifting in his bean bag.

**As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, Well, that settles it.**

**Grover was a satyr. I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair, I'd find tiny horns on his head.**

"One of the Hermes kids did that to satyr before…" Thalia trailed off shaking her head.

**But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed, or even minotaurs. All that meant was my mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light.**

"The minotaur doesn't have power to that right" Apollo asked.

"No she was captured by a god." The lord of the sea said glaring at the lord of the underworld.

**I was alone. An orphan. I would have to live with ... Smelly Gabe?**

"Oh hell to the no" Sally and Poseidon exclaimed.

"Oooh Auntie Sally/ Mommy and Uncle P/Daddy said a bad word." Thalia, Nico, and

Percy said in a childish way.\

Sally and Poseidon rolled their eyes.

"You should get a timeout for being so bad." Percy scolded.

"What are you gonna do set my throne and her bean-bag in the corner." Poseidon said equally childish, with his arms crossed, and sticking his tongue out.

Hades snapped his fingers. Shadows filled Poseidon and his throne. Also, Sally and his bean bag. He smirked at his masterpiece.

Hades got up and collected the book from his brother's lap. On the way back to his throne, Hades high-fived his niece, son, and nephew.

Once back in his throne he found the page and continued reading.

**No. That would never happen. I would live on the streets first. I would pretend I was seventeen **

"There is no way that runt could pass as seventeen at twelve "Ares sneered looking at the front of the book.

Percy rolled his eyes "It was just a desperate thought Lord Ares."

**and join the army. I'd do something.**

**Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid- poor goat, satyr, whatever- **

**looked as if he expected to be hit.**

Thalia shrugged "He probably did."

**I said, "It wasn't your fault."**

**"Yes, it was. I was supposed to protect you."**

**"Did my mother ask you to protect me?"**

Sally shook her head, unable to talk since she was in timeout.

**"No. But that's my job. I'm a keeper. At least... I was."**

**"But why ..." I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.**

**"Don't strain yourself," Grover said. "Here." He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.**

**I recoiled at the taste, **

"Why nectar is scrumcious." Hermes squeaked.

**because I was expecting apple juice.**

"Oh" Hermes said embarrassed.

**It wasn't that at all. It was chocolate-chip cookies. Liquid cookies.**

"Ooh I could just die for some cookies today." Apollo said drooling.

"Well I-" Sally started .

"That's 10 more minutes on your timeout for talking, young lady." Percy said not to laugh.

"Well _young man _that's one less cookie for you." Sally said with a slight glare at her son.

Percy's eyes widened in fear and shock.

"Whipped" Hermes whispered to Apollo.

Sally turned to Hermes, with smirk "Heard that."

**And not just any cookies- my mom's homemade blue chocolate-chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting.**

All the males and Thalia and Annabeth in the room started drooling.

**Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief didn't go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.**

"

**Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.**

**"Was it good?" Grover asked.**

**I nodded.**

**"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.**

Annabeth rolled her eyes "You feel guilty about everything, Seaweed Brain." She said.

"I do not." Percy protested.

Nico rolled his eyes "Please Kelp- Head. When we went on our 'Cousins day-out' and went to go see Identity thief.

**"Sorry," I said. "I should've let you taste."**

"Can satyrs and nymphs have nectar and ambrosia?" Apollo asked.

"No, they would burn like a mortal." Athena answered.

**His eyes got wide. "No! That's not what I meant. I just... wondered."**

**"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's. Home made."**

**He sighed. "And how do you feel?"**

**"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."**

"You should throw her sorry ass two-hundred yards." Ares muttered.

**"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table. "Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting."**

"You best not touch a hair on his head." Poseidon said to Dionysus mentally.

**The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse.**

**My legs felt wobbly, trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I held on to it. I'd paid for that souvenir the hard way. I wasn't going to let it go.**

"Damn right." Ares agreed.

**As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath.**

Annabeth smiled thoughtfully "The camp is truly beautiful." She commented, lost in her own world.

**We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture, **

Annabeth sighed wistfully "Ahh architecture."

Thalia leaned over to Nico "I think she has officially lost it." She whispered. Nico snickered.

That seemed to break wisdom's daughter of her day-dream. Her eye twitched "What did you say Thalia?" She growled, but inside she was just joking.

Thalia looked like a deer in headlights, not knowing Annabeth was just kidding. "Umm…" She started till Annabeth cut her off with a laugh.

"Y-y-your expression was hilarious." Annabeth said still laughing. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I was kidding, Thals."

**an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena, except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.**

"Nope those are Pegasusi." Demeter said.

**Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blond-haired girl who'd spoon-fed me popcorn-flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.**

"What are you doing there, Annabeth," Athena asked warily.

Annabeth sighed "Chiron asked me to, Mother." She explained.

**The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels- what do you call them, hubbubs?**

"What in the name of Zeus a hubbub." Hades said bewildered. Zeus glared.

Hades glared back "Now you know how it feels _little _brother." Hades said. Zeus looked ready to throw him off of Olympus, as all the gods laughed. None more so that his siblings.

**No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park.**

At this, _all _the Gods, Demigods, and mortal broke into hysterics.

Well, except for The wine god him self.

**He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my step father.**

"Anyone can out bid that wretched mortal." Dionysus scowled.

**"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured to me. "He's the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, **

Annabeth sat up "Just a camper!" She exclaimed.

**but she's been here longer than just about anybody. **

She sat back and shrugged "I guess that's better."

**And you already know Chiron..."**

**He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.**

**First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard.**

**"Mr. Brunner!" I cried.**

"Not quite." Hephaestus said.

**The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers B.**

"Ooh I cant stand that." Nico grunted, putting his hands up in the air. A sign of frustration.

"I know right." Percy agreed.

"Yeah it makes you, grade self-conscious." Thalia agreeing also.

Athena and Annabeth rolled there eyes.

**"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."**

**He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."**

"Your doing a great job, as camp director." Zeus said sarcastically.

"Thank you father." Dionysus said equally sarcastic.

**"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little farther away from him because, if there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice.**

**If Mr. D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr.**

"Well D has never ever even heard of alcohol, you silly little satyr." Hermes teased.

**"Annabeth?" Mr. Brunner called to the blond girl.**

Annabeth turned to Percy "So I'm still the blonde girl."

"Well at least I got the color right." Percy reasoned.

She just shock her head.

**She came forward and Mr. Brunner introduced us. "This young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."**

**Annabeth said, "Sure, Chiron."**

**She was probably my age, maybe a couple of inches taller, and a whole lot more athletic looking. With her deep tan and her curly blond hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image. **

"Ruined?!" Athena and Annabeth snapped at the Percy.

Percy held his hands up in surrender.

**They were startling gray, like storm clouds; pretty,**

Athena and Annabeth dropped their glares.

**but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight.**

"That's my girl." Athena smiled.

**She glanced at the minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to say, **_**You killed a minotaur**_**! or **_**Wow, you're so awesome**_**! or something like that.**

Thalia and Annabeth scoffed.

**Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep."**

Everybody laughed at her choose of words.

**Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blond hair flying behind her.**

**"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. Brunner?"**

"Not Mr. Brunner, kid" Ares gruffly corrected.

**"Not Mr. Brunner," the ex-Mr. Brunner said. "I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron."**

**"Okay." Totally confused, I looked at the director. "And Mr. D ... does that stand for something?"**

"Dionysus is my name, pinochle is my game." Dionysus announced

**Mr. D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I'd just belched loudly.**

"Give me some blue root beer and I can do that." Percy boasted.

**"Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."**

"Like_ him _and_ her._" Nico whispered, but everyone heard.

"Who is _him _and _her_?" Athena questioned.

"Nothing." Thalia, Nico, Percy, and Annabeth answered quickly.

Athena narrowed her eyes "Mmm-hmm."

**"Oh. Right. Sorry."**

**"I must say, Percy," Chiron-Brunner broke in, "I'm glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I've made a house call to a potential camper. I'd hate to think I've wasted my time."**

"Talk about feeding and deflating his ego." Hera said.

**"House call?"**

**"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to ... ah, take a leave of absence."**

**I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. Brunner had taken the class.**

"I wonder what Chiron did?" Apollo wondered.

"Probably, just controlled the mist to convince him to go elsewhere." Athena guessed.

**"You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked.**

**Chiron nodded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. **

Sally nodded, remembering the call.

**But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that's always the first test."**

Thalia sighed "The test I failed." She said sadly. Annabeth put a comforting arm around her.

**"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"**

**"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I didn't know why he should be so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt.**

The gods snickered.

**"You do know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.**

**"I'm afraid not," I said.**

**"I'm afraid not, sir," he said.**

**"Sir," I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less.**

"You and me both, kiddo." Apollo said with Hermes nodding along.

**"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all civilized young men to know the rules."**

**"I'm sure the boy can learn," Chiron said.**

"At least Chiron is optimistic" Poseidon grumbled, now sitting back in his throne, tired of that foolishness. Sally was also back in her original spot. He took the book from Hades and continued reading.

**"Please," I said, "what is this place? What am I doing here? Mr. Bru-Chiron why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"**

**Mr. D snorted. "I asked the same question."**

"That was rude, nephew." Hestia said to Dionysus, who actually looked ashamed.

**The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.**

**Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was, I was his star student. He expected me to have the right answer.**

"He expects that from everyone, boy." Artemis said.

**"Percy," he said. "Did your mother tell you nothing?'**

**"She said ..." I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. "She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably couldn't leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."**

**"Typical," Mr. D said. "That's how they usually get killed. Young man, are you bidding or not?"**

"Dionysus, that was uncalled for. Especially when he lost his mother." Hera snapped. And all the goddesses nodded.

**"What?" I asked.**

**He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.**

**"I'm afraid there's too much to tell," Chiron said. "I'm afraid our usual orientation film won't be sufficient."**

"You didn't see the film?" Nico asked incredulously. "It. Was. Awesome."

Percy rolled his eyes, remembering child Nico "I saw it, a few years after this happened."

"Oh"

**"Orientation film?" I asked.**

"That movie is awesome." Nico exclaimed.

**"No," Chiron decided. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know-" he pointed to the horn in the shoe box- "that you have killed the Minotaur. No small feat, either, lad. **

"A large feat, my boy." Poseidon praised.

"Especially when you do it twi-" Thalia was cut off by Percy hand over her mouth.

All the gods shocked.

Suddenly, Percy quickly withdrew his hand, wipping it on his left leg.

"Eww you licked me." Percy whined.

Thalia smirked "Well, were cousins. So, technically we have pretty much the same saliva." She pointed out as, some gods laughed.

When they all sobered up, Poseidon asked the question everyone was thinking.

"Did you defeat the minotaur twice, son" The lord of the sea asked.

"Umm…" Percy started "Yea?" He said but, it was more of a question.

Poseidon shook his head "You get in a lot of danger in the future don't you." He asked once again.

**What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods- the forces you call the Greek gods- are very much alive."**

**I stared at the others around the table.**

**I waited for somebody to yell, **_**Not!**_** But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" He cackled as he tallied up his points.**

**"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"**

**"Eh? Oh, all right."**

"Oh, that was nice." Artemis said sarcasm dripping from her words.

**Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.**

**"Wait," I told Chiron. "You're telling me there's such a thing as god."**

**"Well, now," Chiron said. "God- capital G, God. That's a different matter altogether. We shan't deal with the metaphysical."**

**"Metaphysical? But you were just talking about-"**

**"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That's a smaller matter."**

"SMALLER?" Zeus roared. "How are we _smaller!" _

Poseidon and Hades were snickering behind his back. "Drama queen." Poseidon mouthed to Hades who nodded along.

**"Smaller?"**

"Well it seems like Percy agrees ." Hades snickered.

**"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class."**

**"Zeus," I said. "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."**

"I really like how he didn't mentioned his father." Zeus smirked.

"In this part how about no one talks, so we can get this over with." Artemis suggests, which everyone agreed to.

**And there it was again distant thunder on a cloud less day.**

**"Young man," said Mr. D, "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you."**

**"But they're stories," I said. "They're- myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. They're what people believed before there was science."**

**"Science!" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Perseus Jackson"-I flinched when he said my real name, which I never told anybody- "what will people think of your 'science' two thousand years from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. **

**That's what. Oh, I love mortals- they have absolutely no sense of perspective. They think they've come **_**so-o-o**_** far. And have they, Chiron? Look at this boy and tell me."**

"They have." Percy explained. "From caves to mansions. From nothing to electricity." He reasoned

**I wasn't liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as if... he wasn't. It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut.**

**"Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that immortal means immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?"**

"It get disheartening at times." Hephaestus said.

**I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.**

**"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.**

**"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that some day people would call you a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?"**

"That was mean." Demeter scolded to the book Chiron

**My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let him. I said, "I wouldn't like it. But I don't believe in gods."**

**"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."**

**Grover said, "P-please, sir. He's just lost his mother. He's in shock."**

**"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I'm confined to this miserable job, working with boys who don't even believe.'"**

**He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent, momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.**

"Dionysus." Zeus warned.

**My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up.**

**"Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."**

**Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise.**

**"Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"**

"Yeah your _sooo_ sorry." Zeus said sarcastically.

**More thunder.**

**Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.**

**Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph who had been declared off-limits."**

**"A wood nymph," I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.**

**"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time- well, she really was pretty, and I couldn't stay away- the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha.' Absolutely unfair."**

**Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.**

"He is a little kid, at least to us." Apollo snickered to Hermes.

**"And ..." I stammered, "your father is ..."**

**"**_**Di immortales**_**, Chiron," Mr. D said. "I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is Zeus, of course."**

**I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine. The skin of a tiger. The satyrs that all seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.**

**"You're Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."**

**Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, duh!'?"**

**"Y-yes, Mr. D."**

**"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"**

"Oh, you wish, you were hot like me." Aphrodite exclaimed.

**"You're a god."**

**"Yes, child."**

**"A god. You."**

"I can't belive it either." Apollo said. Dionysus glared at him, but didn't say anything.

**He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a strait-jacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.**

**"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly.**

**"No. No, sir."**

**The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win."**

"YES, finally." Dionysus cheered.

**"Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, "The game goes to me."**

"Oh man, just when I thought I was finally going to bet the centaur." He pouting looking depressed.

**I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. He got up, and Grover rose, too.**

**"I'm tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again, about your less-than-perfect performance on this assignment."**

**Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y-yes, sir."**

"Poor satyr." Hestia pitied.

**Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."**

**He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.**

**"Will Grover be okay?" I asked Chiron.**

**Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus isn't really mad. He just hates his job. He's been ... ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he's allowed to go back to Olympus."**

"He should have thought of that before he decided to chase the wood nymph." Zeus grumbled.

"Why did _you _punish him for chasing a nymph." Hera said coldly.

Zeus looked nervous and scared. "Umm.. Because he cheated on his wife." He lied.

Hera narrowed her eyes "Although that is a semi-good reason, that is very hypocritical. So, don't think your off the hook." She spat.

**"Mount Olympus," I said. "You're telling me there really is a palace there?"**

**"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there's the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do."**

**"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like ... in America?"**

**"Well, certainly. The gods move with the heart of the West."**

**"The what?"**

**"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization.' Do you think it's just an abstract concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilization were obliterated. The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know- or as I hope you know, since you passed my course- the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps- Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on- but the same forces, the same gods."**

**"And then they died."**

"Gods don't die, we fade and go to the void." Athena pointed out.

**"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every place they've ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your symbol, the eagle of Zeus.**

Zeus looked proud.

**Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not- and believe me, plenty of people weren't very fond of Rome, either- America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are here."**

**It was all too much, especially the fact that I seemed to be included in Chiron's we, as if I were part of some club.**

**"Who are you, Chiron? Who ... who am I?"**

Ares rolled his eyes "Duh, Percy Jackson." He said

"Nooo, was it the five books with my name. Or is it the fact I introduced myself on the first page." Percy said sarcastically. "I meant my parentage and ancestry." He explained.

**Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he were going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I knew that was impossible. He was paralyzed from the waist down.**

"Not quite, young hero." Hestia corrected gently.

**"Who are you?" he mused. "Well, that's the question we all want answered, isn't it? But for now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be s'mores at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore chocolate."**

The Half-bloods snorted "More like overly obsessed." Annabeth said.

The gods raised an eyebrow at this new information, about the extraordinary teacher.

**And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear, **

Everyone rolled their eyes at that, thought.

**but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there's no way it could've held all of him. **

"It is one of my many creations." Hephaestus boasted.

**A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.**

**I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's trunk.**

**"What a relief," the centaur said. "I'd been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep. Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let's meet the other campers."**

Poseidon raised the book "Who wants to read?" He questions.

"I would" Artemis raised her hand.

Posiedon smiled at his niece and handed her the book.

Artemis smiled back and opened the book and read **"I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom,"**

**For all the Paranoid people out there, no this is becoming a Artemis/Poseidon pairing story. It was merely a niece/uncle type of thing. Sorry for not updating my summer was busier that I thought. I went from Six flags one day to the Eastern Share the next. For those who don know The Eastern Shore is on the other side of the state from where I live. Also my computer charger broke so my computer was dead for about a week. Thankfully ,I didn't lose my progress, or this chapter would not have been posted today. Yeah having two stories is harder than I thought. Plus, I update the other one more, because its on my Ipod and I can do that on the go.**


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